The Toronto Maple Leafs announced on Wednesday that they have reached an agreement on a two-year contract extension with depth forward Bobby McMann, worth. The deal has an annual average value of $1.35 million. McMann, 27, is in his second season with the Maple Leafs, having appeared in just 10 games in 2022-23, recording one assist.
McMann has played a larger part with the team in the second half of the season, scoring 10 goals and 18 points in 40 games since being recalled from the AHL’s Toronto Marlies.
McMann makes the most of his opportunity.
McMann was brought up in mid-November to replace Ryan Reaves while the Maple Leafs were dealing with a number of injuries, and he hasn’t looked back since, averaging nearly 11 minutes per game in 40 games.
He had two assists in his opening game of the season against the Vancouver Canucks in a depth position, but had only two points in his next 15 games. When players returned from injuries and McMann appeared to be the odd man out, he began to heat up.
In mid-February, he scored 10 points in six games, including seven goals and his first career hat trick against the St. Louis Blues on February 13.
McMann: Undrafted and unscathed
McMann, an undrafted forward from the AJHL, spent four seasons at Colgate University in the ECAC, where he scored 37 goals and 92 points in 145 regular-season games. Following that, he spent a season with the ECHL’s Wichita Thunder, scoring 17 points in 18 games, before joining the Marlies for the remainder of the season.
He had a breakout season in 2021-22, scoring 24 goals and 35 points in 61 games for the Marlies before making his NHL debut with the Maple Leafs the following season.
In terms of the contract, it’s a fantastic boost for the Maple Leafs, who will be short on cap room after signing Auston Matthews and William Nylander. However, Brad Treliving provides the team with a competent, muscular, blue-collar depth option in McMann at a reasonable price given his performance in 50 games with the Maple Leafs thus far.
