McMann, 29, is a pending unrestricted free-agent, earning $1.3 million AAV against the cap, and he does not have any trade protection on his deal, giving Treliving free reign to cash in. There’s been plenty of speculation on what the Leafs will do ahead of the deadline, specifically with McMann, so let’s assume Treliving follows through with ‘sell mode’ and moves some of his complementary pieces.

Here’s five trade destinations to consider for a McMann deal:

Edmonton OilersMight as well get the easy one out of the way first. The Oilers have been linked to McMann for the past few weeks as they look to upgrade their top nine and add some more speed to their lineup. McMann’s as fast as they come, he’s shown great finishing ability with his 19 goals in 56 games this season, and he’d certainly give the Oilers some lineup versatility, as he can slot in on either wing, on each of their top three lines.

Considering the Oilers only have $425,000 in cap space entering the Olympic break, they’ll be looking for McMann-type of bargains financially. The only thing that may work against Edmonton is the fact it doesn’t own a 2026 first-round pick, and there’s been some chatter that Treliving could fetch a first-rounder in a McMann deal. If Treliving will settle for a second-rounder and a mid-to-high level prospect, these two teams could be completing some business before the deadline.

San Jose Sharks

The Sharks were in on Artemi Panarin and had interest before it was made known he’d only go to the Los Angeles Kings, so we know GM Mike Grier is looking to upgrade his roster for a serious playoff push this season. The Sharks enter the break just three points out of the second wild-card position in the Western Conference, with a game in hand, so Grier’s likely going to be aggressive heading into the deadline.

McMann would be an attractive piece for the Sharks as they could use more speed and finishing ability on the wing, and many people forget how physical McMann can play, as he’s laid 126 hits already this year, good for third on the Leafs.

San Jose has close to $10 million in cap space, they have two first-round picks to dangle as trade assets, and several prospects who are creeping close to NHL ready. If they give up a first rounder to the Maple Leafs, it’s likely either Brandon Carlo is also involved in this trade, as they need more depth on the back end, not only for this season but moving forward, or, they take McMann, but work out a contract extension. I don’t see Grier giving up a first-round pick for a pure rental.

Carolina Hurricanes

The Hurricanes always seem to be in the market for another game breaker, and while McMann’s not an elite forward, he can certainly provide more secondary scoring for the Hurricanes, who seem to come up short when it matters most offensively.

Carolina has a boat load of cap space, with over $23 million available heading into the break, and securely sitting atop the Metropolitan Division, fully expect to see GM Eric Tulsky aggressively looking to add all over his roster. McMann fits their team’s makeup as a hard-worker who isn’t afraid to muck it up in the dirty areas of the ice, and someone who can find the back of the net in many different ways.

Carolina is also looking to add a top-four defenceman heading into the deadline, so if these two teams pull off a transaction, it’s likely going to involve much more than just McMann, and could include either Carlo or Ekman-Larsson heading to the Hurricanes. The Canes have their 2026 first-round pick, but, it would be interesting to see what appeals to Treliving off their roster, as Tulsky isn’t chomping at the bit to get rid of his young talent.

Tampa Bay Lightning

The Lightning always seem to pull off head-scratching trades each and every season, leaving people wondering how exactly they pulled it off. They missed on Panarin, and could see McMann as someone who could boost their top six, or play a checking role on their third line.

Tampa Bay has only $3 million in cap space entering the Olympic break, so they’ll be looking for bargains like McMann on the trade market. They don’t have a first-round pick until 2028, so again, this could be case of a second-rounder and a prospect heading back in return.

The Lightning are paying Oliver Bjorkstrand $5.4 million this season, and with only nine goals in 54 games, could see McMann has a much better option long term, and work out an extension to lock him up for a few more seasons with the Bolts.

Colorado Avalanche

The Avalanche could use some more speed and scoring, no? Colorado has been on an absolute heater this season, and while they’ve come back down to earth recently, they still are 36-9-9 on the year. With only $3.7 million in cap space, McMann would be a perfect low-cost option for them to add, who is versatile to play multiple different roles among their top nine.

McMann, Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas are three of the fastest skaters in the league and would cause fits for opposing bluelines. Colorado doesn’t have a draft pick until the fourth round in 2026, so this would be a deal built on a young roster playing heading back to Toronto, or an NHL-ready prospect, who the Maple Leafs can give an audition to for the last 25 games of the season.

At the end of the day, losing McMann would be a hit to the Maple Leafs’ dressing room, as he’s certainly beloved among his teammates, however, Treliving would be wise to cash in on his best trade asset, considering that making the playoffs at this point seems very unlikely.

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