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Ryan McLeod, Buffalo Sabres (Photo by Bill Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images)

Buffalo Sabres 2024-25 Player Report Card: Ryan McLeod

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Ryan Womeldorf | Last updated May 16, 2025 10:15 AM ET

All eyes are looking ahead to the 2025 NHL Draft and what the Buffalo Sabres will do. Given this past season’s failures and middling draft success in the past, fans are hoping for an impactful trade to get the offseason rolling in a positive direction.

As it turns out, General manager Kevyn Adams made a successful trade last offseason that was not initially received well but paid dividends. Ryan McLeod has acquitted himself well since arriving in Buffalo, but how does his performance grade out for the 2024-25 season?

Initial Feelings on the Trade

When it was initially announced that the Sabres traded top prospect Matt Savoie to the Edmonton Oilers for McLeod, reactions were mixed. Some were seriously high on Savoie, who projects as a top-line scorer at the NHL level. They felt like it was an overpay for a largely unproven player.

If anything, this trade illustrates what the Sabres need more of out of Adams. He took a risk by sending a top prospect for what he felt was a good fit, and it wound up being exactly what the Sabres needed. The Sabres are the early winners of this trade, and McLeod will be a piece worth watching in Buffalo for the foreseeable future.

A Home Run Performance

Onto McLeod and his 2024-25 season. Instead of continuing to send prospects to Rochester, where they are having success and developing, the Sabres parlayed one of those into acquiring McLeod. In three seasons in Edmonton, his career highs of 12 goals, 18 assists, and 30 points didn’t exactly have Sabres fans feeling great.

Those who watched him in Edmonton noted that he was underrated and underutilized, and Sabres fans quickly saw what he could do in a larger role. McLeod played a career-high 16:50 per night, nearly three full minutes more than his best in Edmonton, and it paid dividends across the board.

McLeod hit all-new highs in goals (20), assists (33), and points (53), while also registering his best plus/minus (plus-13), shooting percentage (20.6%), and faceoff percentage (52.3%). McLeod showed fantastic speed, underrated offensive ability, and the versatility to play throughout the lineup and on the penalty kill.

No one could have hoped for more out of this deal. McLeod played well from the jump and had a very good season, especially given that he played a third-line role. The Sabres needed a big boost to their bottom six, and McLeod delivered in spades.

Grading McLeod

Coming into the season, it is impossible to have expected more than what McLeod put forward. Given his career stats and usage in Edmonton, a minor improvement on his stats while playing a third-line role and on the penalty kill probably would have been a nice win.

Ryan McLeod, Buffalo Sabres (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Instead, McLeod proved to be essential to the Sabres’ offense. Though he didn’t get much power-play time, he made the most of his shots by hitting a high in shooting percentage. He showed dynamic playmaking ability with several linemates as well.

Leadership is a tricky thing to grade because we’re not in the room, but his play on the ice is certainly a way to lead. McLeod’s speed became an asset defensively and on the penalty kill, not to mention the fact that it allowed him to play with virtually anyone without missing a beat.

2025-26 and Beyond

McLeod picked the most opportune time to have a career season as he is a restricted free agent this summer. Throughout the season, he was projected to be roughly $3 million per year in value, but that number feels quite a bit low given his performance.

Signing him will be a priority for the Sabres, more than likely somewhere closer to $5 million per season. At 25 years old, McLeod should be a solid piece of the core moving forward. While he likely won’t do a lot better than his 20-goal, 50-point output, getting close to that while killing penalties would be a huge win for the Sabres.