Good News For Maple Leafs & McMann

The Toronto Maple Leafs are still within striking distance of the playoffs and they have the team and star talent to get there, but what won't help is one challenging year sends them into a large retool for more players than are necessary to change around. Bobby McMann is the prime candidate I'm talking about here as he is a UFA after the season and there is no contract in place yet.

Darren Dreger said, "Bobby McMann is very comfortable with the Maple Leafs. I don't think he wants to go anywhere, I don't."

While McMann's feelings about the situation is only part of it, the Maple Leafs will need to be certain they can get a contract signed with him, get one signed ahead of the trade deadline, and like the number, or plans to trade him might come to fruition.

The Maple Leafs have made plenty of mistakes in letting good top-9 support players walk over the past number of years and it has forced them to lose offense, lose good players, and have to find more who don't always perform the same. Someone like Zach Hyman is dearly missed in Toronto, but players like Trevor Moore, Connor Brown, Jared McCann, Kasperi Kapanen, and more could have and could still bring something different. That's also without using the assets to acquire replacements like the Maple Leafs have.

McMann has played well in the top-6 for the Maple Leafs this season. The 29-year-old is in the prime years of his career, has been very cheap and very effective for his cap hit at $1.35 million AAV, and is third on the team in goals with 19, having 32 points to go with it.

There is a range of $4-5 million AAV where it is expected McMann will land on his next multi-year deal, whether that be with the Maple Leafs or elsewhere. It's not a huge price to pay for Toronto to keep someone who has chemistry with their top players, is home grown, and has proven himself.

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