{"id":436663,"date":"2026-01-30T18:00:49","date_gmt":"2026-01-30T18:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/436663\/"},"modified":"2026-01-30T18:00:49","modified_gmt":"2026-01-30T18:00:49","slug":"maple-leafs-wont-take-just-anything-for-bobby-mcmann-the-hockey-writers-toronto-maple-leafs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/436663\/","title":{"rendered":"Maple Leafs Won’t Take Just Anything for Bobby McMann – The Hockey Writers – Toronto Maple Leafs"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Bobby McMann<\/a> noise isn\u2019t slowing down, and the latest chatter from the Real Kyper and Bourne show only cranked it up. Suddenly, the question isn\u2019t if the Toronto Maple Leafs<\/a> would move him. It\u2019s who they want back, and whether this is the moment Brad Treliving<\/a> tries to squeeze someone.<\/p>\n

Everyone Seems to Have McMann Headed to the Oilers<\/p>\n

The team everyone\u2019s whispering about? The Edmonton Oilers. From the outside, it makes sense. The Oilers are going for it. It\u2019s a Stanley Cup-or-bust season<\/a>. They need cheap help, bottom-six muscle, a north\u2013south winger who actually finishes checks and can hammer a puck if it lands on his stick. McMann checks every one of those boxes.<\/p>\n

Related: Maple Leafs\u2019 McMann Linked to Oilers: What\u2019s the Return?<\/a><\/p>\n

McMann also grew up just east of Edmonton<\/a>, cheering for the Blue & Orange. So, from his perspective, that would be an attraction. But what Toronto should want in return? That\u2019s where things get interesting.<\/p>\n

The Maple Leafs Don\u2019t Want \u201cPieces\u201d \u2014 They Want a Piece<\/p>\n

This is where the debate gets real. Some people hear \u201cMcMann trade\u201d and immediately picture the usual deadline package: a third-rounder, maybe a B-level prospect, maybe a warm body who\u2019ll bounce between the American Hockey League (AHL) and the press box.<\/p>\n

But honestly? For the Maple Leafs, that\u2019s not going to cut it. If they move McMann, it can\u2019t be for \u201cvolume.\u201d Not picks thrown into the drawer. Not a prospect you talk yourself into because his Elite Prospects page looks nice.<\/p>\n

\"BobbyBobby McMann, Toronto Maple Leafs (Amy Irvin<\/a> \/ The Hockey Writers)<\/p>\n

Toronto needs something that matters: a real young player, or a top prospect, or someone who helps the NHL roster next season. They need someone who brings substance.<\/p>\n

Related: A Motivating Moment for the Maple Leafs\u2019 Bobby McMann<\/a><\/p>\n

One of the hosts said it perfectly: \u201cIf you\u2019re Edmonton and you offer a third and a middling prospect? I don\u2019t want that. Give us a player.\u201d Exactly.<\/p>\n

The Word Is that Toronto and Edmonton Have Been Talking<\/p>\n

Apparently, the Maple Leafs and Oilers have already had conversations. That tracks \u2014 Treliving didn\u2019t even go on the road trip. He stayed back, bunker-style, working the phones heading into what\u2019s basically a two-stage trade deadline. There\u2019s the pre-Olympic freeze, then the actual deadline. And teams are acting like both matter.<\/p>\n

\"BradBrad Treliving, Toronto Maple Leafs (Andrew Francis Wallace\/Toronto Star via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

There\u2019s still enough time for something to develop, but it\u2019s clear: McMann\u2019s name is out there, and it would seem that some serious conversation is happening.<\/p>\n

If the Oilers Want Him, They\u2019ll Have to Pay<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the part every Maple Leafs fan should pay attention to: if Edmonton really wants McMann, this is exactly the kind of spot where Treliving should squeeze them. <\/p>\n

He\u2019s cheap. He\u2019s fast. He hits. He shoots it hard. He\u2019s having a career year at exactly the right moment. And he fits everything the Oilers say they need to support Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in the bottom half of the lineup. Teams pay for that at the deadline. Sometimes they overpay.<\/p>\n

\"BobbyBobby McMann, Toronto Maple Leafs (Photo by Claus Andersen\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

The Oilers, more than most teams, might talk themselves into it. Especially if they see him as this year\u2019s version of the cheap, hard-skating winger who \u201cjust clicks\u201d beside one of their stars.<\/p>\n

Getting McMann on an Extension Matters More Than Anything<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the wrinkle: the Oilers won\u2019t make this trade unless they know they can extend McMann. That means if the Maple Leafs are legitimately shopping McMann, his agent already has the green light to talk to other teams. That\u2019s how it works. <\/p>\n

Related: Maple Leafs in Limbo: GM, Coach, and the Players in Question<\/a><\/p>\n

The agent finds a match, figures out the number, and brings it back. Teams do it all the time. This one is no different. If the Oilers want him, they\u2019ll need permission to talk contract. And they\u2019ll need a deal ready.<\/p>\n

Because Toronto absolutely cannot let McMann walk for nothing this summer. He\u2019s an unrestricted free agent<\/a> (UFA) when his contract expires this offseason, so moving him now makes perfect sense.<\/p>\n

The Leafs Like McMann\u2026 But They Don\u2019t Love the Uncertainty<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the truth about McMann: he\u2019s become a real NHLer. Big body, great skating, heavy shot, plays harder than people think. He\u2019s scored 17 goals already, probably finishes around 20\u201325, and he\u2019s done it in a contract year.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the kind of player teams convince themselves on at 11:59 on deadline day. But he\u2019s also streaky. He goes two weeks without you even noticing he\u2019s in the lineup. That\u2019s why Toronto\u2019s pro scouts matter here. It isn\u2019t the stats; it\u2019s the feel.<\/p>\n

So What Happens?<\/p>\n

Either Treliving squeezes Edmonton for something meaningful, or McMann stays in Toronto, and the Maple Leafs work hard to extend him. But one thing\u2019s clear: the conversation isn\u2019t really about McMann. It\u2019s about what the Maple Leafs think they are right now \u2014 and what kind of team they want to be after the Olympic break.<\/p>\n

And, after another Maple Leafs loss last night, that\u2019s the part nobody seems totally sure about. <\/p>\n

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<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Bobby McMann noise isn\u2019t slowing down, and the latest chatter from the Real Kyper and Bourne show…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":433278,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5125],"tags":[3819,4892,198,146,5300,5,4,24],"class_list":{"0":"post-436663","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-edmonton-oilers","8":"tag-bobby-mcmann","9":"tag-brad-treliving","10":"tag-edmonton","11":"tag-edmonton-oilers","12":"tag-edmontonoilers","13":"tag-hockey","14":"tag-nhl","15":"tag-oilers"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nhl\/115985363496066187","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/436663","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=436663"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/436663\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/433278"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=436663"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=436663"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=436663"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}