On Friday, a New Jersey Devils spokesperson confirmed to The Hockey News that forward Michael McLeod, 27, will not be coming back to the organization.
McLeod is one of five players who were acquitted of sexual assault charges stemming from an incident in 2018 when they were members of Canada's world junior team. The NHL recently announced the players would be eligible to sign contracts on Oct. 15 and return to game action on Dec. 1.
The Ontario native was drafted 12th overall by New Jersey and appeared in 287 games for the Devils over six seasons.
A recent report by David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period stated that McLeod is expected to sign with one of the Devils' Metropolitan Division rivals, the Carolina Hurricanes.
In 287 career games, the center has 85 points (29 goals, 56 assists) and a face-off win percentage of 58.3%.
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