Sometimes you just need to take advantage of a team who has fallen out of love of one of their players. The Buffalo Sabres healthy scratched center Ryan McLeod for their game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday and that stirred up some trade conversation. Could the Toronto Maple Leafs be the team to take advantage?
McLeod is a 27-year-old center with three years left on his contract at a perfectly reasonable $5-million AAV and while he isn't the flashiest of players, he seems to have conjured up some very positive seasons since he arrived in Buffalo after a trade with the Edmonton Oilers. Unfortunately, this season is off to a rocky start with just one goal and three points in 15 games played -- leading to him being healthy scratched.
Ryan McLeod is a healthy scratch for the Sabres tonight. Sounds like Louis Crevier will also be a healthy scratch.
— Matthew Fairburn (@MatthewFairburn) November 6, 2026
It is understandable that he would come out of the lineup with his performance so far this season, but there is so much left to offer. Just last season, McLeod scored 14 goals and 54 points in 81 games while being a regular force in all situations for a Sabres team that finally made the playoffs -- he averaged almost 18 minutes a night so he was clearly important.
And the season prior, his first season with the Sabres, he netted 20 goals and 53 points. There is some real scoring potential and that isn't even McLeod's primary game. He is simply one of the fastest skaters in the league, in the upper echelon among quick forwards, and has a very strong two-way game.
That is why the Leafs need to get on the phones.
Maple Leafs need to land Ryan McLeod if he's available
While the Leafs would surely love to acquire a difference-making defenseman, fixing the center problem is also doable. McLeod isn't a guaranteed second-line center but he can certainly be more of a complementary force than someone like Nick Paul, and his speed can cover up some mistakes or lack of coverage if he's slotted in next to William Nylander.
John Tavares is a legend but his responsibility to carry a large load of this team's offense beyond the top stars should be lighter. Even if he's suddenly the second-line wing with McLeod and Nylander, or he's down on the third line with Gavin McKenna maybe up on the second -- either way suddenly the team has everyone playing a role that feels more natural.
The only real question is what the Leafs would have to give up.
What would the Leafs have to trade for McLeod?
There is no telling what McLeod's value is at. When he was seen as a young, two-way center for the Sabres, they traded younger prospect Matthew Savoie for him. A former top-10 pick that has somewhat floundered and didn't really fit with what the Sabres were going for but still had some value around the league clearly.
Do the Leafs have any of those? Not really.
It would be questionable if the Leafs just handed over Ben Danford in the middle of trying to develop him into a strong two-way player that could be on this team as soon as this spring. But there is one thing for certain: The Leafs would have to give up some money.
Due to the tagging rules with the salary cap, the Leafs cannot acquire any more cap dollars for next season. It has to be money in and money out for anyone under contract beyond this season. So, could the Leafs send over Max Domi and Miles Wood as part of this deal to make the money work?
To do that the Sabres would probably want something of actual value. Could John Chayka then try and dangle something like a second-round pick and a prospect of their choosing? If it's a package of Domi, Wood, their 2nd-rounder in 2028, and then prospect Tyler Hopkins, for example? That feels like something that is liveable.
Even if McLeod flames out to just become on the same level as Nick Paul, the Leafs could surely use just more complementary players that will eventually be fairly cheap.
It's not the worst idea in the world. The Leafs would just have to be confident that McLeod can re-gain his confidence and start scoring again. Because if he's suddenly paired up with the Leafs talented wingers, he could certainly hit the 60-point milestone.
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