Snapshots: McMann, Chytil, Jets

Maple Leafs winger Bobby McMann is the middle of a career year and appears to be poised to cash in on his next contract.  While Toronto would like to re-sign him, talks don’t appear to be going well as The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reported on a Leafs Morning Take appearance (video link) that there has been no progression in those discussions.  The 29-year-old is on a very affordable $1.35MM price tag which could fit in on most contender’s cap structures which is part of the reason Toronto is believed to be seeking a first-round pick for his services.  If the two sides can’t work out an extension over the next couple of weeks, we’ll find out if his contract is valuable enough to net the Maple Leafs the return they seek.

More from around the NHL:

• Filip Chytil’s tough luck this season continues. After missing time before the break with more migraine headaches, he returned to practice on Tuesday.  However, Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province notes that the center took a puck to the face in a mini-game at practice on Wednesday, causing him to exit early and go for imaging.  Chytil has been limited to just a dozen games this season and has a long, documented history with concussions (or concussion-like symptoms).  Now, it looks like he could be out of the Canucks’ lineup for a while once again.
• Jets defenseman Neal Pionk could return to the lineup on their upcoming three-game road trip, relays Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Free Press (Twitter link). The veteran has missed a little more than a month with a lower-body injury.  Pionk has had at least 32 points in six straight years but will be hard-pressed to get there this season as he has just eight in 40 outings.  Meanwhile, it appears blueliner Haydn Fleury is a little further away from returning.  Head coach Scott Arniel noted that while Fleury is progressing in his recovery from an upper-body injury, he still needs time to build his conditioning back up.