Player Discussion Ryan McLeod - C - #71 - Acquired in Trade 2024 - RFA 2026

[Dingo44]

Looks like the Sabres already sent Ryan some of his new Sabres gear.

Click to read more...

 

[TheMistyStranger]

Looks like the Sabres already sent Ryan some of his new Sabres gear.

Looking forward to seeing what he does with this opportunity

 

[Dingo44]

 

[ValJamesDuex]

Be nice if Kevin Adams might discuss the trade.

 

[Dingo44]

People in the comments were making the point if McDavid and MacKinnon aren't a 99 for speed then why bother?

 

[Ace]

What the top number is doesn’t really matter. What matters is having players accurately placed on the scale. If you’ve graded everyone out accurately on the scale…and you feel like you have to move McDavid to a 99…theoretically you’re just moving every single player up 3 points to keep the integrity of the scale and now your game plays 3 points faster than how you balanced it. He’s still faster than everyone…that is the number that matters. The 99 is arbitrary, and, if you believe in the scale you built, adhering to it…which comes with the belief that no one can come along who is faster…just moves everything up in speed anyway

If on your scale McDavid is graded two points faster than McLeod..but you want a 99 …you have to make McLeod a 97…or have a false representation of speed in the game. The gaps are what matter

 

[VaporTrail]

Haha he likes pountine

 

[TheMistyStranger]

People in the comments were making the point if McDavid and MacKinnon aren't a 99 for speed then why bother?

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Not to derail too hard, but I cannot stress enough how much I loved NHL 94's ratings. IIRC the highest rated player was like an 89 overall. Third and fourth line guys were in the 60s.

 

[Dingo44]

 

[Ace]

He’s good.

I know many weren’t happy about the price…but they got a good player at a position of need who does things they desperately needed

 

[JLewyB]

He’s good.

I know many weren’t happy about the price…but they got a good player at a position of need who does things they desperately needed

Real impressed. Haven’t noticed his lack of physicality yet. Greenway and Zucks might be doing his dirty work though.

His speed might actually be better maximized with our d-core than Edmonton’s too.

 

[rogking65]

time to move him up in the lineup. Cozens needs to be dropped down until he gets his act together

 

[Chainshot]

time to move him up in the lineup. Cozens needs to be dropped down until he gets his act together

The line is working so well right now though with Zucker and Greenway. That's hard to ask a coach to break up something working for something that is not. If Tage and Tuch had continued struggling, I could see them moving Cozens onto the wing with them to try to get him going and maybe trying Kulich at it but they need Cozens to unf*** himself on the scoresheet for sure.

 

[Fjordy]

McLeod is a pleasant surprise, overall his line is very good and should not be touched.

 

[Dingo44]

 

[Butt Ox]

New Olofsson is way cooler than old Olofsson. I absolutely love seeing McLeod shine. Needs to keep that chip on his shoulder and stay motivated.

 

[TheMistyStranger]

So far feeling good about my 60+ point prediction for him

 

[HaNotsri]

So far feeling good about my 60+ point prediction for him

That would give you major bragging rights, second only to @sabremike

 

[Dubi Doo]

This man should be our shutdown 3Cfoe the foreseeable future. Tage is looking the part of a 1C. Now we just need to get the 2C figured out. McLeod can probably hold down that spot in the meantime. Ruff gave him and Greenway the most ES mins last night, so it appears he's pretty high up on the depth chart.

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

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People really need to tamp down on the four goals optimism. He is a nice acquisition, and Kevyn deserves his credit, but McLeod is shooting 40% and has 10 shots in eight games. If he scores 15 goals, that will be a good season. He is below average on faceoffs, and it was an absolute lie to say he was good; he was average at best. His speed lives up to billing and he looks good on PK mostly. Overall? We traded a good prospect of tomorrow for a guy we needed today for depth. The deal is sort of working out as expected. Savoie is in the A and doing okay, which is where he would have been in Buffalo, too.
Don't sell me McLeod as a number 2 centre. It's absolute bull.

So far feeling good about my 60+ point prediction for him

He will get nowhere near 60 points. If he wants to be our shutdown 3C, he needs to be above average in dot or do many other things well

 

[Samsonite23]

People really need to tamp down on the four goals optimism. He is a nice acquisition, and Kevyn deserves his credit, but McLeod is shooting 40% and has 10 shots in eight games. If he scores 15 goals, that will be a good season. He is below average on faceoffs, and it was an absolute lie to say he was good; he was average at best. His speed lives up to billing and he looks good on PK mostly. Overall? We traded a good prospect of tomorrow for a guy we needed today for depth. The deal is sort of working out as expected. Savoie is in the A and doing okay, which is where he would have been in Buffalo, too.
Don't sell me McLeod as a number 2 centre. It's absolute bull.



He will get nowhere near 60 points. If he wants to be our shutdown 3C, he needs to be above average in dot or do many other things well

“This sort of deal is working out as expected.”

You may want to reassess your bias on this one man. He’s in the conversation for our best player so far this year. Not exactly expected by anyone in the world of hockey.

Side note: He’s showed some ability to produce when he played wing in Edmonton’s top 6. Speed kills, especially when the fit in the team and his line is right.

 

[Nikolajs Sillers]

Maybe I was wrong after all?

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

“This sort of deal is working out as expected.”

You may want to reassess your bias on this one man. He’s in the conversation for our best player so far this year. Not exactly expected by anyone in the world of hockey.

Side note: He’s showed some ability to produce when he played wing in Edmonton’s top 6. Speed kills, especially when the fit in the team and his line is right.

He's had a very nice start, but he is not one of our best players, and if we expect that, we are in trouble. He's the type of third-line player we desperately needed. If he gets 15 goals and 15 assists, kills penalties and is a good position player, it totally reinforces GMKA's trade. Love to see him get his FO % to 53% plus and he would be perfect in his role.

It's silly to put him in the conversation with Thompson, Tuch or Dahlin, Players get hot and it's exciting but it's an 82-game year. Cozens will score some goals and Peterka won't shoot at 36% clip, TT will be hard-pressed to match 20% all year.

The guys I'm worried about on team are Quinn who is not getting any shots on net and Benson who is probably just hurt. Same with Quinn.

This isn't a shot at McLeod, but some people think the guy is a 60-point player. I have no doubt he is getting into the peak of his career which is great but his peak is a little lower.

 

[Dubi Doo]

He's had a very nice start, but he is not one of our best players, and if we expect that, we are in trouble. He's the type of third-line player we desperately needed. If he gets 15 goals and 15 assists, kills penalties and is a good position player, it totally reinforces GMKA's trade. Love to see him get his FO % to 53% plus and he would be perfect in his role.

It's silly to put him in the conversation with Thompson, Tuch or Dahlin, Players get hot and it's exciting but it's an 82-game year. Cozens will score some goals and Peterka won't shoot at 36% clip, TT will be hard-pressed to match 20% all year.

The guys I'm worried about on team are Quinn who is not getting any shots on net and Benson who is probably just hurt. Same with Quinn.

This isn't a shot at McLeod, but some people think the guy is a 60-point player. I have no doubt he is getting into the peak of his career which is great but his peak is a little lower.

Ive only seen one person say he'll hit 60 pts thus far. I'd say that opinion is in the fringe minority.

Most of us have been hoping for a player that's Hecht-lite in that he's perfect for the 3rd line C role, but his skillset allows him to move up the LU in a pinch since he makes the lives for his linemates easier, which we're sorta seeing already.

Last game, Ruff gave him and Greenway the most ES mins. It appears to me Ruff may lean on him as a top-6 C until Cozens or Krebs grabs the spot, and rightfully so. Not ideal, but you cant deny that his line is one of two of our most effective lines at the moment.

Im thinking until Cozens or Krebs shows they can play top-6 C mins....Tage will get the most ES mins in games we need scoring and McLeod will get close or more mins than Tage in games they're winning.

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

Ive only seen one person say he'll hit 60 pts thus far. I'd say that opinion is in the fringe minority.

Most of us have been hoping for a player that's Hecht-lite in that he's perfect for the 3rd line C role, but his skillset allows him to move up the LU in a pinch since he makes the lives for his linemates easier, which we're sorta seeing already.

Last game, Ruff gave him and Greenway the most ES mins. It appears to me Ruff may lean on him as a top-6 C until Cozens or Krebs grabs the spot, and rightfully so. Not ideal, but you cant deny that his line is one of two of our most effective lines at the moment.

Im thinking until Cozens or Krebs shows they can play top-6 C mins....Tage will get the most ES mins in games we need scoring and McLeod will get close or more mins than Tage in games they're winning.

If he gets near Hecht, that's a bloody steal of a deal. I would just pump the breaks on him being a top-six player. Sabres fans run so hot and cold, i hope people are patient when he doesn't score for two weeks because that will happen too.