The Toronto Maple Leafs sent forward Bobby McMann to the Seattle Kraken at the NHL trade deadline. In exchange, they got a second-round pick in 2027 and a fourth-round pick in 2026. Seattle is pushing for just its second playoff berth in franchise history, while Toronto is on track to miss the playoffs for the first time in a decade. How did both sides fare in the deadline deal?
The Kraken tried to swing big with an Artemi Panarin trade before the Olympic break. Their pursuit fell short due to Panarin's no-move clause, so they took the Olympic roster freeze to regroup and make a trade. In Lane Lambert's first season behind the bench, Seattle is fighting for the last spot in the Western Conference Wild Card race.
Bobby McMann should help the Kraken get into the dance, but did they pay too much for the player?
The Kraken add a valuable piece
The Kraken are in desperate need of some juice around their organization. They do have a playoff series win, beating the defending champion Colorado Avalanche in 2023. But the last two seasons have not been great. They are already on their third coach and don't have a marketable superstar to drive fan engagement. The only way to fill the building is to win, and no price is too high to pay for that.
The Kraken did a nice job getting a middle-six scorer without giving up a prospect or a first-round pick in the McMann deal. McMann is one goal away from his second consecutive 20-goal season, but will need a new contract at the end of the season. Maybe he stays with the Kraken, but even if he does not, this was a worthy gamble.
Scoring is always a need for teams, but McMann is slightly repetitive on the Kraken roster. He is not a top-line player, but can score and is worthy of a middle-six role. Seattle has about nine second-line forwards, which does defy the definition itself. But when the Kraken tried to get a top-line winger, he declined for the bright lights of Hollywood. The way to attract top players is to win, which the Kraken can do with McMann, giving them an A-.
The Maple Leafs sell for the sake of selling
The NHL trade deadline was pretty quiet in 2026, but the teams that sold mostly got great return packages. That includes the Maple Leafs, who got a first-round pick for center Nicolas Roy in a trade with the Avalanche. But the McMann return package was not representative of the player's season so far, leaving Toronto without a nest egg for this offseason.
While the Maple Leafs are a disaster this season, they are likely to make a playoff push next year. With Auston Matthews at the helm and a six-decade Stanley Cup drought looming, they won't be heading into a rebuild anytime soon. There is a great chance they trade a lot of the picks they picked up to improve immediately. But that ceiling is limited without a first-round pick in return for McMann.
The valuable players at this year's NHL trade deadline were centers. Roy, Brayden Schenn, Nazem Kadri, and Jason Dickinson netted first-round picks for their former teams. Meanwhile, Panarin only got a third-rounder back for the Rangers. McMann plays on the wing, which lowered the ceiling on his return.
The Maple Leafs get a C+, which is a much higher grade than they would have received if they extended McMann. They needed to load up on picks, even though they did not get super valuable ones. The offseason will be where Brad Treliving makes these deals pay off and push for a Stanley Cup.
