Photo credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Bobby McMann didn’t want to leave — and his parting message for his former teammates something Toronto can take advantage of as free agency approaches.
But it wasn’t for a lack of wanting to be here or a matter of being good enough, but that it is just business — a sentiment that has been floating around the Toronto locker room for a few days now.
What McMann told Knies and Woll before leaving Toronto
In fact, McMann was pretty disheartened to hear he had been traded because he never wanted to leave.
In his interview with The Athletic’s Joshua Kloke, he mentioned how he never wanted to say his good-byes to teammates Matthew Knies and Joseph Woll:
I don’t want to say bye to you guys, because I’m hoping I’m still going to be here. That was hard.
Coupled with a teary-eyed Simon Benoit, who ran through people in order to say one last good-bye to McMann; you can see how important he was to the fabric of the team.
This is a player who was signed as a flyer out of Colgate University, worked through the ECHL and AHL levels to finally break through in the NHL; if there’s ever a player Toronto developed it’s him and he may want to reward their faith in him.
Why McMann’s loyalty gives the Leafs leverage in free agency
But that importance to the team could lead them to a reunion this summer. Clearly McMann’s heart is still in Toronto and although he’s with Seattle, he’s yet to extend on any deal.
He very well could simply wait things out this year, and Toronto comes back this summer and walks right in with their offer.
It feels like McMann was playing 4D chess: Ask for a lot to facilitate a deal to help Toronto’s future, then renege on that price point and come back on a hometown discount.
If so, then all props to McMann who understands the nuances of the NHL front office system and knew his value could get Toronto something now, while giving them exactly what they want this summer.
What a McMann return would look like for Toronto’s lineup next season
McMann being back in the fold next year certainly makes things a little more interesting. The team is bringing back a majority of their players, and since he’s proven he can be a top-six player — that saves money.
So Bobby McMann leaving the Maple Leafs hurts this year no doubt, but perhaps the bigger picture is what we need to focus on and that perhaps they can kill two birds with one stone: Get picks and McMann back.
Previously on Hockey Patrol