Why Trading Bobby McMann Would Be a Misstep for the Maple Leafs
As the NHL trade deadline chatter heats up, Bobby McMann’s name has quietly started circulating in league circles. A couple of Western Conference contenders are reportedly taking a closer look at the 29-year-old winger. And while McMann may not be a household name across the league, his story-and his production-deserve a closer look.
McMann is on track to surpass his career highs this season, a testament to the work he’s put in and the role he’s carved out in Toronto’s top six. But in a market like Toronto, where the pressure never really lets up and expectations are sky-high, outperforming your past self doesn’t always earn you a long-term stay. Instead, it can land you squarely in the middle of trade rumors.
The Leafs’ current position in the standings only adds fuel to the fire. They’re not exactly locked into a playoff spot, and the inconsistency across the roster has made for a bumpy ride this season. That kind of uncertainty tends to turn up the volume on trade speculation-especially for players like McMann who don’t carry the cachet of a top draft pick but have proven they can contribute at the NHL level.
Let’s not forget what McMann represents. Here’s an undrafted player who climbed the ladder the hard way-through the minors, through the margins, through the doubt-and has emerged as a reliable top-six option.
That’s no small feat. Especially for a team like Toronto, which doesn’t have the deepest prospect pool to draw from.
In fact, McMann’s rise is exactly the kind of success story contending teams need to build around. When you don’t have a cupboard full of blue-chip prospects, you’ve got to find value in the overlooked and underestimated.
Just look at how the Colorado Avalanche have made a habit of it-turning late-round picks and castoffs into meaningful contributors. Toronto has had some flashes of that approach working: Zach Hyman, once a Florida Panthers castoff, turned into a key piece before heading to Edmonton.
Michael Bunting had a similar arc. Alex Steeves showed promise too, though the Leafs let him walk.
But these examples are more the exception than the rule in Toronto. That’s what makes McMann’s emergence so valuable-and why moving him now would feel like a step backward.
The potential return for McMann on the trade market? Realistically, it’s probably not much more than a couple of late-round picks.
Maybe a fourth-rounder or two. And while that might be fine for a fringe player, McMann’s not that.
He’s a guy who’s on pace to score 20 goals in the NHL. Those don’t grow on trees-especially when they come with a manageable cap hit and a work ethic that fits a team-first culture.
Unless a team comes out of nowhere offering a first-round pick, a top-tier prospect, and a sweetener, the Leafs would be hard-pressed to justify moving McMann. That kind of package is reserved for players like Artemi Panarin-not for a quietly productive winger who’s just starting to find his rhythm.
The smarter play for Toronto? Lock him up.
Extend McMann and make him part of the foundation moving forward. This isn’t about sentimentality-it’s about smart roster construction.
If the Leafs are heading into a soft rebuild, or even just a retool, they need guys like McMann. Affordable, productive, and battle-tested.
In a league where depth wins championships, trading away a player like Bobby McMann for pennies on the dollar isn’t just a bad look-it’s bad business.