The NHL is currently in a trade freeze due to the Olympic break. It began on Wednesday at 3 PM ET, and will run through Feb. 22 and 11:59 PM. Then the NHL trade deadline comes at 3 PM ET on Mar 6. This will give the Toronto Maple Leafs just six games to decide if they are contenders for the playoffs or if they need to sell. Head coach Craig Berube believes the team is playing well, but if they do decide to sell, Bobby McMann could be on his way out of town.
McMann was not drafted out ofcollege, after playing four years for Colgate University. His initial deal was a two-year contract with the Toronto Marlies, the AHL affiliate of the Maple Leafs. He spent time with the Wichita Thunder of the ECHL and the AHL in 2020-21. He finally made his NHL debut in 2022-23 with the Leafs, playing in 10 games with one assist. The next season, he played in 56 games at the NHL level, amassing 24 points.
By 2024-25, he had become a regular at the NHL level, finding the back of the net 20 times while dishing 14 assists. The Canadian forward is on pace for a career season so far in 2025-26. He has lit the lamp 19 times and added 13 helpers in 56 games. McMann will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, but with his recent growth as a player, will be expensive to re-sign. Still, with his growing scoring ability and at an AAV of just $1.35 million this year, he will be highly sought after if made available.
Could the Sabres make a run for another scoring option?
The Buffalo Sabres are having an amazing season. The team has not seen the playoffs since 2010-11, which gives them the longest playoff drought in NHL history. Meanwhile, their 14 seasons without a playoff berth is the second-longest active streak in the four major American sports leagues. Only the New York Jets, at 15 seasons, is longer. The franchise could tie the Jets if they miss the playoffs, but with the Sabres at 32-18-6, they are currently in a position to break the drought.
This leads to a major question for the Sabres. Do they hold off and hope they make the playoffs, or do they go all-in for this season to break the streak? A trade for McMann will likely be a rental move. The team is projected to have just $14 million in cap space this summer, plus Alex Tuch is a pending free agent. He could easily take $10 million of that, leaving little room for an extension for McMann. Still, the team has plenty of quality prospects along with draft capital to make a move and make a run for this season.
McMann could energize the middle-six of the Sabres. He could join the third line on the left wing, allowing Josh Doan to move back to the right side, and give the third line two high quality socring threats. Doan has scored 18 goals with 21 assists this year. McMann has the scoring ability to join the top line as well, replacing Peyton Krebs until Zach Benson returns. Regardless of where the Sabres place him, it would impact each of the top three lines, giving the team major scoring depth.
He is also a solid two-way forward and would also improve the team's defense. The Sabres are 14th in the NHL in goals per game. Currently, McMann's expected goals against per 60 minutes of ice time would place him as one of the better forwards on the Sabres this year, giving an added bonus for Buffalo acquiring the player.
The Oilers have a clear interest in McMann
The Edmonton Oilers have been connected to McMann as a potential team of interest. There is an obvious connection considering that the Leafs forward is from the area, being from Wainwright, Alberta, Canada, just two hours away from Edmonton. Still, they could use a player like McMann, adding to the middle-six. The Oilers are currently up against the cap, making some moves difficult. Still, the current salary of McMann fits within their constraints.
The Oilers currently have one of the best offensive units in the NHL, sitting fourth in the league in goals per game. The scoring is top-heavy, though. Of the 198 goals the team has scored, 100 of them have come from Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, and blueliner Evan Bouchard. That is 51.8 percent of their goal production comes from three forwards on the top two lines and one defenseman. Meanwhile, the top-scoring threat outside of those three has been Jack Roslovic, who is currently playing on the third line.
This means adding McMann could give another scoring threat to pair with Draisaitl on the second line, or with Roslovic on the third line, giving more scoring depth for a playoff run in case one of their top players goes through a slump. A move here would also add speed to the lineup. McMann is in the 99th percentile for max skating speed, with one of the only faster players in the NHL being Connor McDavid.
He puts that speed to good use, though, and in an area where the Oilers need help. It allows him to get back on defense and lay the lumber. His speed with his physical play has led to him giving out 126 hits so far this season. That would be good for third on the Oilers. McMann would fill a major need for Edmonton and is a move the Oilers should consider making.
Are the Kings done adding players?
The Los Angeles Kings made one of the biggest trades before the Olympic roster freeze. The Kings traded for Artemi Panarin from the New York Rangers, adding a great scoring threat, and signaling they are going all in for the Stanley Cup this year. In their last four playoff runs, they have had one major issue, and that is the Edmonton Oilers.
Scoring enough to keep up with the Oilers has been an issue in the recent playoff runs, but the trade for Panarin helps address that. The other issue has been slowing down McDavid. In the four playoff runs that have been ended by the Oilers, McDavid has been dominant. He has scored nine times while adding 28 assists in the 24 games. The Kings need someone who can slow down McDavid.
McMann has both the physicality and speed to keep up with McDavid. He could play on the third line with the Kings, with a focus on McDavid. Then, with Quinton Byfield and Andrei Kuzmenko on the ice as well, the team would have a solid scoring line to counterattack with. McDavid cannot be completely held out of the scoring column, but slowing down his presence on the ice could help the Kings make a run in the playoffs.
