Not really someone we are looking to trade as he has really turned into a steady player for us at 4C. Especially on face-offs and as defensive center.

Of your list, Glass and Campbell would be most interesting. Maybe Farrance. And we would probably ask about Fabbro, Carrier or Myers as well.

I’m not interested in giving up most of those assets for a player NSH doesn’t need. Maybe if we didn’t have Sissons, but we also have prospects ready to make the jump next year that I want to see over Mcleod.

In my opinion 1st and 2nd line centers are determined, and likely will not change in next few years - Granlund/Duchene and Johansen.
Sissons is also unquestionable perfect 3rd/4th line center.
But what about another one? Is Novak/Glass or someone else in Preds system will be good enough at that position?
I think not. *Glass is more top-6 guy.
With limited ice time (about 11-15 minutes per game) all Preds need from the another 3rd/4th line center - to be like Mr.Sissons 2.0. Hardworking, physical, universal and with good faceoff win %.
Right now Preds don't have such NHL ready player.
In my opinion McLeod is the best possible fit for the Preds at this role.

Do you think that this team has everything to be successful in the playoffs?
And what do they need to be...?

*I think 4th line center and 8th(LD) - weakest parts of this team. Of course I will be happy to have someone like Miller at our 2nd line, but let's be realistic - it will cost us way to much, so we can't afford real top 6 caliber player.

Novak's been fine as a 4C. I don't really see the need for NSH to make a deal like this. And no offence to McLeod, but some of the returns being talked about here for him are crazy. Glass, Farrance, Fabbro, Carrier - these are all huge overpays for a fourth line forward.

He is more than a “fourth line forward” though. That’s a bit of a misleading label. He plays pretty much 3rd minutes…but that is not what makes him valuable.

He was drafted as an offensive center in 2016. Scouting report then was: Good skater, decent passing, good shot. Weakness was defense and stick-handling. Scored a ton in juniors on breakaways and was compared often to Duchene. after he was drafted, he struggled in his first couple of years generating offensive. Was giving the puck away a lot in neutral zone. Lost confidence. Bounced between AHL and NHL.

Last year, he completely rebooted his game and his approach. He started playing with Wood and Bastian (even though some nights they were getting 2nd line minutes, they were always called our “fourth line”). Now with Zajac gone, he has taken that role as our top defensive center.

This year he has turned 26% off o-zone starts into 48% Scoring chances. He had done this with an inconsistent mix of line-@mates (Wood is hurt, Bastian only came back recently). And it’s mostly due to his defensive play and his dominance in face-off circle (he ranks #4 in face-off winning % and #1 in defensive zone winning %).

He often gets undervalued because he was drafted as an offensive center and has not produced to expectations. But he has completely reinvented his game and is now one of the best defensive centers in league. As important to Devils now as John Madden was in the heyday.

For Devils, we need McLeod more that a guy like Glass, who would probably be a winger here. I think McLeod’s value may be on par with a guy like Fabbro. But he is unlikely to be traded for this reasons.

I like McCloud, and wouldn't mind having him at all. He'd definitely be a 4th line center on NSH, behind Johansen, Granlund, & Sissons though. Regardless of how valuable he is to NJ, that's all he'd be needed for in NSH, and most of the players being mentioned here in a McCloud trade would be an overpay for a 4th liner. I completely understand NJ not being interested in trading their guy or valuing him highly, but considering a young 1st pair defenceman like Fabbro for him is crazy for the Preds.

I would think McLeod would slot in above Sissions and Novak. (Not sure about “McLoud”…). Maybe depends on assignments night-to-night. And when I originally brought it up, I had said one of Fabbro, Myers or Carrier. (Subban is leaving NJ at end of this season, Severson contract up following year). So it would probably be whichever guy Nashville views as their 3RD.

Well NSH’s 3rd line of Trenin - Sissons - Jeannot is designed more like a 4th line (they’re just so effective that they get more minutes)— so I don’t think they need to go out and get a prototypical 4th line center. They need a guy that can produce offensively and work more as another scoring line. Tomasino should not be playing a 4th line role - that line should be a scoring line with more offensive zone draws. Novak has been fine there so far, and Glass is the option next season most likely. I wouldn’t mind an upgrade though if they want to add. Maybe someone like Brassard who shouldn’t cost more than a 3rd. As for NSH’s two biggest holes on this team, I would say a center for the Tomasino line and a top 6 winger. I’m not really sure how an 8th defenseman can be a hole on any team… and NSH has Farrance and Davies who can play if needed anyway.

Sorry about the "McCloud" typo - I'm still on my first coffee. McLeod would likely beat out Novak for the final center spot, but like @villenash said above Novak has been fine so far. If NSH was looking to upgrade on Novak for the playoffs, I think they'd be in the market for a more veteran player - not a younger player like McLeod.

Even Myers (clearly the 3rd best option of Carrier, Fabbro & Myers) would be too much for NSH to pay for McLeod. I still think Myers has middle pair upside. With the centers NSH already has, and with Glass likely needing a roster spot next season if not sooner, paying whatever NJ would be satisfied with for McLeod would just be bad asset management.

There's no way McLeod would bump anyone other than Novak out of NSH's lineup though. NSH's Herd line has been arguably their most effective since it was put together. They have great chemistry, and often get used much more than a traditional 3rd line. McLeod wouldn't have a chance of taking that 3rd line center spot from"Sissions"

In my opinion Preds isn't really typical team. They have only one "all offensive" line of Forsberg-Granlund-Duchene. And they plays like typical top line. Top minutes, goals, creative plays.
2nd line of Tolvanen-Johansen-Kunin, 2 wingers, that hits everything, and also have an ability to score goals; center - big, with good FOW% and abilities to make effective plays.
*This line someone in between Herd and 1st line.
3rd line - Herd line. Hardworking forwards, absolute monsters. Every player of this line - in top 100 of the league in hits.
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1st line plays top minutes, when 2nd and 3rd plays +/- same amount of time.
And then Preds have +/- same minutes (even a little bit less) for the 4 line.
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4th line... What are they? They are enough skillful to play top 6 minutes? - No. They are hardworking horses like Herd line? - No.
Tomasino is good. He can play top 6 role, but in such construction of the team, we are have only 1 real top 6 line.
Cousins - good example of the player, who can play less minutes and still be very effective. He often earns the PP minutes for the team.
Novak - good, but he hasn't something special, everything so mediocre. And his play at faceoff circle is too bad.
Likely he is such type of players, that plays more effective the more minutes they have. But Preds can't decrease the amount of minutes of another lines.

That's why I think, that McLeod is perfect fit for the Preds.
He reminds me Mr.Sissons. Such type of players will be effective, even if they will play top6 minutes, and they are so effective in playoffs.
When Tomasino find himself as the real top6 player likely he will move Kunin from his spot, so we don't need to care about creativity level(offensive mind) of his current center.

You know, the funny thing is, it autocorrected to “sessions” and my correction of autocorrection still got it wrong. Sissons.

Sounds like both sides may be better off holding the cards they were dealt.

But we’ll be happy to take an RD (or Alex Campbell) off your hands should Preds someday need to move them.