Former New Jersey Devils player Michael McLeod, accused of sexual assault, is unemployed again

Michael McLeod hasn't played in the NHL since his arrest tied to an alleged sexual assault back in 2018. McLeod is facing two charges in Canada after an alleged gang assault to a woman which also led to charges against former NHLers Carter Hart, Dillon Dube, and Cal Foote. The New Jersey Devils held McLeod out of games last season and just let his contract run out.

In the offseason, McLeod didn’t get an NHL offer (we assume), so he signed with a KHL team. McLeod agreed to terms with Kazhakstan-based KHL team Barys Astana. Former Devils teammate Will Butcher had already signed with the team, so there was a familiar face there.

A few of the other accused players had accepted contracts with other KHL teams. The players worked something out with the Canadian courts to allow them to play overseas. 

However, it appears McLeod chose a team that no longer needs his services. McLeod, along with Butcher and a few other US players, have been cut from Barys Astana.

It appears that something is going on with Barys, as they are cutting all foreign players. It’s rare to see a team cut multiple players at once, but the team has been dealing with issues as of late. They cut former Devils player Chase DeLeo last week. 

We assume some KHL teams will try to pick up the released players, but McLeod’s legal issues might cause Russian teams to hesitate. Reports say the trial isn’t expected to start until next September, but if some legal hurdles are overcome, it could start as early as April. Teams might be willing to overlook that to sign McLeod (based on what they’ve already done), but there’s a chance this is it for McLeod until his legal issues are settled.