Insider Says Maple Leafs Potentially Changing Stance on Bobby McMann Trade

The assumption for months has been that Bobby McMann — one of the top rental trade chips on the market — would be dealt out of Toronto at some point before the March 6 trade deadline, with teams like Edmonton and Colorado, among others, showing strong interest.

That remains very possible. However, according to one insider, the Maple Leafs’ stance on moving the power forward might not be set in stone, with McMann’s desire to stay in Toronto and pursue a Stanley Cup playing a significant role in the situation.

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Darren Dreger of TSN provided the latest on First Up on Friday.

Dreger said:

“I would expect that Treliving would have a conversation face-to-face with Bobby McMann and get a real keen sense of what he’s thinking and what he’s feeling. McMann is very comfortable with the Leafs. I don’t think he wants to go anywhere — I don’t. And only in the spirit of chasing a Stanley Cup. If the Leafs don’t have the appetite to get into the heavy lifting of the negotiation, the only reason Toronto wouldn’t is if they suddenly lose a couple of games between now and March 6 and they’re out of it.”

The 29-year-old McMann is, of course, a pending UFA in the second and final season of the two-year, $2.7 million extension signed with the Maple Leafs in 2024. He’s pacing for a career year, currently sitting with 32 points (19 goals, 13 assists) through 56 games played.

If GM Brad Treliving is, in fact, attempting to extend McMann, we may already have an idea of what it would take, as fellow insider David Pagnotta recently suggested that a five-year deal worth around $5 million annually could be the likely range.

Toronto does have the salary cap space beyond 2025–26 to get such a deal done, while still leaving itself plenty of flexibility to upgrade or retool the rest of the roster.

Because of that, extending McMann isn’t all that far-fetched. However, if the Maple Leafs truly want to accumulate assets and shake up the roster amid what is pointing towards being a lost season, they’ll need to consider moves outside of simply retaining their own players.

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