Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Bobby McMann

Maple Leafs Recall Simon Benoit

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

10/12 – The Leafs have loaned Benoit back to the Toronto Marlies.

10/11 – The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled defenseman Simon Benoit from the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, according to a team release Wednesday. In a corresponding transaction, they returned forward Bobby McMann to the Marlies after he cleared waivers earlier today.

Benoit will serve as the lone extra skater on the active roster and is not expected to play in tonight’s season-opening contest against the Montreal Canadiens. He can stay on the NHL roster for up to 30 days (or 10 games played) before he requires waivers to be returned to the minors.

The Maple Leafs signed Benoit, 25, to a one-year, league-minimum contract in August. The Laval, Québec, native played in a career-high 78 games last season for the Anaheim Ducks, notching ten points and a -29 rating whilst facing some tough minutes on a poor defensive squad.

Benoit is one of a trio of veteran blueliners signed to league-minimum deals Toronto has stashed in the minors, along with William Lagesson and Maxime Lajoie. Earlier in the preseason, few expected Benoit to be on the active roster for tonight’s game, given the team’s cap constraints, but defenseman Conor Timmins sustained a lower-body injury that has him on long-term injured reserve to start the campaign. He is out week-to-week, and while Benoit will likely remain up with the Leafs for a while, expect him to hit waivers again if needed upon Timmins’ return. Benoit was also sidelined with an injury of his own at one point, dealing with back spasms at the beginning of the preseason schedule.

Toronto Maple Leafs Recall Joseph Woll

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

With Matt Murray’s latest injury, the decision on who will start for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the playoffs was effectively made. Ilya Samsonov is now the team’s undisputed starter, though someone will need to help get the team through the last few games of the season.

That someone is Joseph Woll, recalled again today under emergency conditions. Radim Zohorna has been returned to the AHL, while Bobby McMann was moved to long-term injured reserve.

Woll, 24, has had an outstanding season. In 21 appearances at the minor league level he is 16-4-1 with a .927 save percentage. In four games with the Maple Leafs, he is 3-1 with a .934. The 2016 third-round pick is finally rounding into form after several injury-laden professional seasons, and is now pushing for a full-time position with Toronto.

Murray left Sunday’s game after an awkward collision with Detroit Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond, appearing to hit his head on the ice. The team has not revealed any timeline for the veteran netminder, but it is just another disappointing outcome in a turbulent season.

In 26 appearances, spread out by several injuries, Murray has posted a .903 save percentage. Samsonov, meanwhile, is now 25-10-4 on the year with a .915, and looks poised to meet Andrei Vasilevskiy and the Tampa Bay Lightning in game one, should nothing else change for the Maple Leafs over the last part of the season.

Atlantic Notes: Savage, Brodie, Mandolese, McMann

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

According to Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News, Red Wings’ prospect Redmond Savage is transferring to Michigan State University. Drafted 114th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, Savage will take his talents closer to where he will eventually be playing.

Throughout his 67 regular season games played for Miami University (Ohio), Savage was able to put up 13 goals and 17 assists over his 2-year span. More famously, on the world stage, Savage was included on the roster of the United States World Junior team, playing in both tournaments this year and last. Throughout his 12 tournament games, Savage scored nine points for the United States team.

Since joining the Big Ten Conference before the 2013-14 NCAA season, the Spartans have only managed to earn a winning season one time in 2015. However, for the first time under new head coach Adam Nightingale, the Spartans won their quarterfinal matchup against Notre Dame but eventually lost to the University of Minnesota in this year’s Big Ten tournament.

Other notes:

  • From Mark Masters of TSN, after sitting out of yesterday’s game against the New York Islanders, head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Sheldon Keefe, says that defenseman T.J. Brodie will be back in the lineup tomorrow against the Florida Panthers. After handily losing to the Islanders on Tuesday, Brodie should be a welcomed return to the Maple Leafs against a surging Panthers team. Although his point production is down this season, Brodie has still been keen on his defensive aspects of the game, including being one of the better shot blockers in the league.
  • After netminder Dylan Ferguson became ill before yesterday’s game against the Boston Bruins, the Ottawa Senators re-called Kevin Mandolese from their AHL affiliate Belleville Senators. Today, the Senators announced that they have returned Mandolese back to Belleville. With the Senators dealing with injuries between the pipes, Mandolese has started in three games this year, going 2-1-0 with a .916 SV% and a 3.29 GAA.
  • Furthermore, on the Maple Leafs, David Alter of Sports Illustrated passes on a message from Keefe, announcing that forward Bobby McMann has re-aggravated a knee injury and will not play tomorrow night against the Panthers. McMann has been recalled a couple of times this year on an emergency loan, getting into ten games with the Maple Leafs, and producing one assist overall. Playing for the Maple Leafs AHL affiliate Toronto Marlies, McMann has been an incredibly valuable forward, playing in 30 games, and scoring 21 goals over that span.

Maple Leafs Recall Bobby McMann And Joseph Woll

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

In advance of their game tonight against Ottawa, the Maple Leafs have brought up a pair of players, announcing (Twitter link) the recalls of winger Bobby McMann and goaltender Joseph Woll from AHL Toronto.

McMann has been a strong scorer in the minors this season, notching 21 goals in just 30 games.  He leads the Marlies in that category despite missing half of the AHL campaign.  That scoring prowess earned him his NHL debut back in January where he got into eight games, logging just shy of 11 minutes a night while being held off the scoresheet.  With Noel Acciari being injured last night against Carolina, McMann will take his place on the roster for the time being.

As for Woll, his recall was a bit more curious.  However, he’s covering for Ilya Samsonov as head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters including Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun (Twitter link) that Samsonov didn’t travel with the team with his wife expecting to give birth soon plus a minor injury before they embark on a long trip starting on Tuesday.  Woll, meanwhile, has been dominant with the Marlies, winning 16 of his 18 starts while posting a 2.37 GAA and a .928 SV%.  His NHL numbers have been better, albeit in a much smaller sample size, as he has a 2.04 GAA with a .938 SV% in three starts with the Maple Leafs this season.

Toronto Maple Leafs Make Several Roster Moves

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced several roster moves. Defenseman T.J. Brodie has been activated off of injured reserve. goaltender Joseph Woll has been recalled from the AHL’s Toronto Marlies on an emergency basis, a move necessary since Matt Murray is still dealing with a lingering ankle issue.

Additionally, forward Bobby McMann has been loaned to the Marlies, and star center Auston Matthews has been placed on injured reserve.

These are quite a few moves to sort out, but a few come as no surprise. Matthews lands on injured reserve after recent news that he would be out for three weeks with a knee sprain. Matthews has scored 53 points in 47 games this season, a rate lower than what he posted in last year’s Hart Trophy-winning campaign, and Matthews’ injury-related absence was in part with the purpose of getting him closer to 100% health for the rest of the season.

Matthews’ placement on injured reserve, combined with McMann being sent to the Marlies, clears a roster spot for GM Kyle Dubas to work with. McMann heads back to the Marlies after an eight-game run with the Maple Leafs. The undrafted former Colgate Raider has had a strong AHL year so far, scoring 15 points in 17 games, although the NHL scoresheet has eluded him.

He’ll likely be an option for another recall later in the year should injuries require the team to dip into its reserve of forwards at the AHL level once again.

Woll, 24, has been recalled on an emergency basis, likely with the idea of him backing up starting netminder Ilya Samsonov. Woll is a 2016 third-round pick who has posted extremely strong numbers in the AHL this season since returning from injury. In 13 games played, Woll has gone 12-1 with a .928 save percentage.

For their final move of this series of transactions, the Maple Leafs have activated veteran blueliner Brodie off of injured reserve.  Brodie has been out since the Maple Leafs’ January 7th contest against the Detroit Red Wings. His addition back to the roster gives the team eight defensemen on their active roster, so it’s possible another move could be coming if the team is looking to carry just seven, which is the traditional amount teams like to keep on their roster.

With Brodie back into the mix, Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe now has his blueline nearly back to full health after sustaining some significant injury issues over the course of this season. The status of veteran Jake Muzzin is still, of course, unclear, but with Brodie back into the fold, the team’s blueline is significantly stronger.

While the team may not be able to catch the league-leading Boston Bruins without an extremely hot run of results, adding Brodie back into the mix should help them solidify their second-place spot in the Atlantic Division.

Toronto Maple Leafs Recall Bobby McMann

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Toronto Maple Leafs are rewarding one of their organizational depth players, recalling Bobby McMann from the minor leagues. T.J. Brodie has been moved to injured reserve after missing the last game with an undisclosed injury.

McMann, 26, has never been recalled previously, having only signed his first NHL contract last April. The undrafted forward out of the AJHL played four years at Colgate University and then spent parts of two season in the ECHL before finding a permanent home with the Toronto Marlies last year. In 61 games he scored 24 goals, and was routinely called out by the organizations a player who could battle for a fourth-line role in the NHL.

After another strong start this season – McMann has 15 points in 17 games – he’ll finally get his chance at the NHL. Whether the left-shot forward actually gets into the lineup is a different story, though the Maple Leafs have had a bit of a moving target for their fourth line so far. Dryden Hunt, Wayne Simmonds, and even Zach-Aston Reese at times have come out of the lineup, potentially opening a door for McMann to make his debut.

Still, he’ll be the 14th forward on the roster, so unless someone else is dealing with an injury this could just be a reward for strong play. McMann will earn a lot more while in the NHL, and the Maple Leafs are already in long-term injury relief, meaning they can’t accrue extra cap space for the deadline.

Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Bobby McMann

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Toronto Maple Leafs have rewarded one of their standout AHL performers with an NHL contract, signing Bobby McMann to a two-year, two-way deal that will start next season. The contract carries an average annual value of $762.5K. McMann is currently playing on a minor league deal.

If you want an example of how a development system can make a difference, McMann is a strong example of how Toronto has poured resources into that side of the organization. Undrafted and unsigned by any NHL team out of Colgate University, he joined the Toronto Marlies on a two-year AHL contract in 2020 and started his professional career with the Wichita Thunder of the ECHL. After playing well there he ended up with the Marlies, but it was obvious that McMann wasn’t quite ready to contribute at that level. In 21 AHL games, he registered just four points.

This season he once again spent time in the ECHL with the Newfoundland Growlers but has been on the Marlies roster for most of the year. Recently, he set the team rookie record with 24 goals and has 35 points in 60 games overall. Now signed to an NHL contract he’ll have an opportunity to keep climbing the ladder.

Earning your first NHL deal a few months before turning 26 certainly isn’t the normal path to the NHL, and McMann will obviously have to continue his hard work if he ever wants to pull on a Maple Leafs sweater. But given the fact that Toronto is often pushing right up to the 50-contract limit for the organization, being one of them means they obviously see enough in him to warrant something greater than another AHL extension.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top