NHL News

Did the Maple Leafs Really Miss Out on a Game-Changing Winger?

Did the Toronto Maple Leafs really miss Mason Marchment—or is Bobby McMann the smarter, cheaper option for the team’s future?

by
Old Prof
December 22, 2025

For a while, Mason Marchment had a little glow around him in Toronto circles. Raised in the Maple Leafs’ farm system, he carried the mystique of “one of our own.” When he went to Florida, he looked the part for a season or two — scoring, hitting, showing flashes of power forward potential. But since that first bright year, his production has plateaued, and frankly, he hasn’t been spectacular consistently anywhere. anywhere.

Comparing Mason Marchment to Bobby McMann

Mason Marchment is a big, left-shot winger at 6-foot-5, 212 pounds. He’s 30 now, a veteran with some scoring seasons under his belt — 22 goals and 31 assists in 2023-24 with Dallas, for example. But those numbers came with strong teammates around him, in systems designed to highlight his size and reach. Since then, including a brief stint with Seattle, his impact has dropped: 4 goals, 9 points in 29 games at $4.5 million cap hit. That’s not a bargain, especially for a 30-year-old whose peak production may be behind him.

Bobby McMann Maple Leafs second line — Bobby McMann has become a staple with the Maple Leafs’ middle-six.

Bobby McMann, by contrast, is slightly more undersized at 6-foot-2, 217 pounds, left shot, and 29 years old. He’s been in the Maple Leafs’ system longer than most notice, quietly grinding in the AHL before carving out consistent NHL time. Last season, McMann posted 20 goals and 14 assists in 74 games — comparable to Marchment’s top years — but with a cap hit of only $1.35 million. He brings physicality, secondary scoring, and reliability without demanding top dollar.

Where Marchment has flashes of brilliance, McMann delivers steady, predictable contributions. Marchment’s value seems heavily team-dependent. His best seasons were with strong supporting casts. McMann, meanwhile, has shown he can contribute consistently with the depth the Leafs currently carry.

The Verdict: Marchment or McMann?

Looking at cost, age, and production, the Maple Leafs likely aren’t missing out on a game-changing winger by letting Marchment walk. His $4.5 million cap hit for a player who just had a 4-goal stretch with Seattle is hard to justify. McMann offers much of the same upside for a fraction of the cost, plus the added bonus of being a Leafs-developed player who knows the system.

In short, Marchment was nice on paper, but McMann is practical. The Maple Leafs aren’t losing a star; they’re retaining a reliable, cost-effective option. Sometimes, the quiet guy in the system turns out to be the smarter investment.