The Maple Leafs have a center issue, and Ryan McLeod suddenly looks like the kind of player who could help fix it.
Buffalo made the conversation louder on Friday when it healthy scratched McLeod for the game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. That alone was enough to get trade talk moving, and Toronto is the obvious team to watch if the Sabres decide they’re ready to move on.
McLeod is 27, has three years left on his contract, and carries a $5-million AAV that is manageable for a player with his track record. He’s not the loudest name on the board, but he’s shown plenty since landing in Buffalo in a trade from the Edmonton Oilers. This season has gone sideways, though: one goal and three points in 15 games, which is what pushed him into the press box.
Last season was a different story. McLeod finished with 14 goals and 54 points in 81 games, played nearly 18 minutes a night, and was used in all situations for a Sabres team that finally reached the playoffs.
The year before that, his first with Buffalo, he posted 20 goals and 53 points. The scoring is there, even if it isn’t the first thing that jumps off the page when you watch him.
What really stands out is the speed. McLeod is described as one of the fastest skaters in the league, and he backs that up with a strong two-way game. That blend is exactly why Toronto should be interested.
The Leafs would love to land a defenseman who changes the whole look of the blue line, but the center spot is a problem that can be addressed too. McLeod wouldn’t have to be a true second-line driver to help. He could be a more useful complementary piece than someone like Nick Paul, and his speed could help cover for some of the gaps if he’s lined up with William Nylander.
That kind of move would also let John Tavares breathe a little. He’s still a legend, but the burden of carrying so much of the offense beyond the top stars should be lighter.
In one version, Tavares slides to wing with McLeod and Nylander. In another, he drops to the third line while Gavin McKenna moves up.
Either way, the lineup starts to look more natural.
The hard part is the price.
McLeod’s value is tricky to pin down. When Buffalo viewed him as a young two-way center, the Sabres paid Matthew Savoie for him. Savoie was a former top-10 pick with value around the league, even if he hadn’t fully fit what Buffalo wanted.
Toronto doesn’t really have a clean equivalent sitting around. Ben Danford would be a tough ask in the middle of his development, especially with the Leafs trying to shape him into a strong two-way player who could help as soon as this spring.
Money is part of the puzzle too. Because of the tagging rules with the salary cap, the Leafs can’t add any more cap dollars for next season.
Any player under contract beyond this season has to come in with money going out. That opens the door to a deal built around Max Domi and Miles Wood.
If Buffalo wants more than salary relief, Toronto would likely have to add real value. A second-round pick and a prospect could be the kind of sweetener that gets the discussion moving. A package like Domi, Wood, the Leafs’ 2028 second-rounder, and prospect Tyler Hopkins, for example, would at least be a workable starting point.
And even if McLeod never becomes more than a Nick Paul type, that still has value for Toronto. The Leafs could use more useful, versatile pieces who won’t cost a fortune forever.
It’s a gamble, but not a wild one. If Toronto believes McLeod can rediscover his confidence, he could thrive next to the team’s skilled wingers and push toward the 60-point mark.
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