McLeod produced an assist and two shots on goal in Tuesday's 7-2 win over the Bruins.

Are the Edmonton Oilers a better team than they were a season ago? I think they might be. A year ago this week the Oilers were riding an incredible 16-game winning streak and preparing for the NHL All-Star Break Feb.

McLeod will return to the lineup for the Sabres on Saturday, just in time to make his return to Rogers Place and play his former team, the Edmonton Oilers, for the first time. McLeod has missed the past three games with what he described as a “nagging” upper-body injury.

McLeod has 10 goals and 14 assists for the Sabres and is on pace to shatter the career highs of 12 goals and 30 points he set last year for

The Buffalo Sabres’ fourth goal on Wednesday kept getting changed between Tage Thompson and Ryan McLeod. It was the next day when McLeod could tale about getting his first NHL hat-trick. Paul Hamilton

The Sabres utilized McLeod’s open roster spot by recalling goaltender Devon Levi, who joined the team for practice in Seattle. Levi practiced in the visitor’s net while Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and James Reimer split repetitions at the other end.

The Sabres placed forward Ryan McLeod on the reserve list with an undisclosed injury and called up goaltender Devon Levi on Saturday before traveling west to begin a four-game road trip. McLeod skated 16:56 of ice time as Buffalo’s top-line center in Friday night’s 5-2 loss against the Pittsburgh Penguins,

McLeod (upper body) will be in the lineup versus Edmonton on Saturday, Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News reports.

The Buffalo Sabres activated forward Ryan McLeod off Injured Reserve (IR) and is expected to play Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers. Head coach Lindy Ruff confirmed to media on Friday that McLeod would be in the lineup.

Tage Thompson and JJ Peterka both had hat tricks in the win. Tage Thompson and JJ Peterka turned in one of the most productive performances by a set of teammates in Buffalo Sabres history, both scoring hat tricks to fuel a 7-2 win over the Boston Bruins at KeyBank Center on Tuesday.

Tage Thompson and JJ Peterka each recorded a hat trick and an assist to lead the Buffalo Sabres to a 7-2 win over the visiting Boston Bruins on Tuesday night.

The club is last in the Eastern Conference with an 18-26-5 record and, barring an unprecedented run, the playoff drought that’s chased off season-ticket holders will reach 14 years.