The Toronto Maple Leafs have traded Bobby McMann to the Seattle Kraken, reports Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The return heading to Toronto is a second-round pick in 2027 and a fourth-rounder in the upcoming 2026 draft, according to Frank Seravalli of Victory+.
The move ends McMann’s nearly six-year tenure with the Maple Leafs, a tenure in which he emerged a real developmental success story for the organization. He signed with the team as an undrafted player out of Colgate University, began in the ECHL, and worked his way up the professional ladder to the NHL, where he became a 20-goal scorer.
With his contract set to expire, McMann has been widely reported to be seeking a significant pay raise from his current $1.35MM cap hit. The recent signing of a comparable player, San Jose Sharks winger Kiefer Sherwood, to a five-year, $5.75MM AAV contract may very well have pushed the price tag on a McMann extension past where the Maple Leafs were comfortable going.
With Toronto likely to miss the playoffs for just the second time since drafting Auston Matthews, collecting some assets for McMann became an important goal for the team’s deadline work.
Toronto may have been hoping to receive a first-rounder for McMann, who has 19 goals and 32 points this season, rather than a second-rounder. McMann is widely considered a more valuable player than Minnesota Wild center Michael McCarron, who net the Nashville Predators a second-round pick earlier this week. But it seems as though no team was willing to part with a first-rounder for McMann, and with the deadline looming, the Maple Leafs seem to have decided that a package for McMann that is lighter than they may have hoped is better than retaining him beyond today.
More to come…
I’m into it.
Didn’t seem like a lot of big fish to be had who’d come to Seattle. Good middle six add to the group with some upside to put pressure on basically every other forward to play a little better. Not a ton given up either. Could go great.
McMann is probably suited to a 3rd line role but I’d like to see him with Stephenson. With his speed McMann can create on his own off the rush but otherwise needs a good playmaker on his line.
McMann joins forces with McCann
So much for a 1st
A first it’s a 2nd and a 4th rd pick going to TO.
(smirks) Seems like Toronto lost out in the musical chairs dance this year. Shoulda dealt him while teams were handing out 1st rounders for 4th liners.
And the Laughton trade seemed like a last minute “take whatever we can” deal after other negotiations fell through. Poor asset management.
I wonder which 2nd? Seattle has three 2027s including their.