The Buffalo Sabres may be mired in the longest postseason drought in the NHL today, at 14 straight seasons of failing to play beyond the 82nd game of the regular season, but they’ve extended a player who enjoyed a career-best output in 2024-25 that they hope will eventually get them back into the playoffs.
The Sabres have announced that forward Ryan McLeod, who is coming off his first season with Buffalo after being acquired in a trade with the Edmonton Oilers last offseason, has agreed to a four-year contract extension worth $20 million; the deal carries a $5 million cap hit.
Ryan McLeod Stays With The Sabres With A New $20 Million Contract
McLeod, who was originally selected with the 40th pick by the Oilers in the 2018 Draft, was acquired by the Sabres last offseason in a deal for 2022 first-round pick Matt Savoie.
Four more years of Clouder! ⚔️
We have signed Ryan McLeod to a four-year contract with an AAV of $5 million. Details → https://t.co/Es0DLMo4Vg#LetsGoBuffalo | @NorthtownAuto pic.twitter.com/wX8MR5ylbR
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) July 1, 2025
While the Sabres ultimately missed the playoffs, McLeod scored a new career-high 20 goals with 33 assists. He also registered his first-career hat trick in January of 2025 against the Carolina Hurricanes.
“It was just kind of one of those plays, end of the period, there was only eight seconds left, I just thought [I’m] going to take a chance and just go to the net,” McLeod said of his hat trick. “‘Zucks’ (teammate Jason Zucker) almost scored from the corner and it just kind of bounced to me there. I just got a lucky bounce.”
Among his 20 goals with the Sabres this season were three shorthanded goals; he was also regularly deployed on Buffalo’s penalty killing unit as well as demonstrating skill in the faceoff circle, enjoying a 52.3-percent success rate.
The Sabres now have just under $14 million of salary cap space after also signing goaltender Alex Lyon to a two-year deal worth $1.5 million per season and winger Justin Danforth, who agreed to sign a two-year deal worth $1.8 million per season.
McLeod was part of the Oilers team that advanced to the Stanley Cup Final in 2024, losing in a thrilling seven-game series to the Florida Panthers. In a twist of irony, the Oilers returned to the Stanley Cup Final again this season, and were once again defeated by the Panthers, this time in six games.
Originally from Mississauga, Ontario, McLeod grew up an Oilers fan and idolised former Oilers forward Ryan Smyth.
McLeod is just two games away from reaching the 300-games played threshold in his career, and has scored 52 goals with 76 assists; he’s also added seven goals and six assists in 56 postseason games.
