On Wednesday, the Toronto Maple Leafs announced that pending UFA Bobby McMann has been signed to a two-year contract extension worth $1.35 million per season.
It is a well-earned reward for a player who played some games in the ECHL just three seasons ago. From there, he joined the Marlies, where he set their rookie record for goals in a season, previously held by Josh Leivo with 24. The following season, he continued to develop, including an incredible run where he scored 18 goals in 17 games and eventually earned an NHL promotion. He recorded just one assist in those 10 games — infamously, his goal was called back against the Red Wings for a kicking motion — but he showed signs that he could take a regular shift in the league.
This season got off to a tough start as McMann was still recovering from a knee injury he suffered with the Marlies. He came to camp hurt, didn’t play in any preseason games, and was put on waivers to begin the year. Thankfully, he passed through them, he played six games with the Marlies, and since he was called back up, he has stuck with the team. His first game of the season came in the second half of a back-to-back against the Vancouver Canucks, as the Leafs elected to rest Ryan Reaves and injuries gave them extra cap space to carry extra bodies. He notched two assists in that game and has generally stuck since then.
Of course, as most fans know, the big breakthrough came when a sick and injured Leafs team inserted him in a game against the St. Louis Blues, where he was scheduled to be a healthy scratch at first. He responded with a hat trick. Since then, his production and ice time have bumped up accordingly.
In February, he scored goals and 10 points in 12 games, averaging 11:30 per night. In five games through March so far, he has just a single goal, but he’s playing 13:46 per night and has been cementing himself as a trusted player in critical situations to close games and give the team good shifts in their top-nine forward group.
Just this past Monday, I wrote the following about extending McMann:
5. I think I would try to sign pending UFA, Bobby McMann, to a new contract before the playoffs start.
Other teams are certainly noticing he is a pretty good hockey player. It’s still surprising that he cleared waivers earlier this year, and now he’s up to 10 goals in 40 games on a very reasonable 12 percent shooting percentage.
McMann has been stuck on the fourth line for large stretches of that time and has only played with good players since February 13 when he moved up the lineup due to necessity. He has 11 points in 14 games since then despite a seven-game pointless streak that just ended with his goal in Montreal.
I don’t expect McMann to be so productive moving forward, but he’s big, strong, fast, owns a good shot, and is turning 28 this summer. He can fill several roles, including playing either wing. He’s a nice player to have in the mix, especially if the Leafs can do it for under $1.5 million per season.
The Leafs should be able to sign him to a two-year deal through the rest of his 20s and reward a homegrown product who is starting to figure out the league rather than farming a player’s development and watching him go somewhere else to play well. Good programs develop, keep, and reward their own, especially when it shouldn’t be expensive to do it.
Needless to say, I think this is a great gamble for the Leafs with minimal downside, even if it doesn’t work out for whatever reason.
McMann’s new $1.35 million annual average slots under that $1.5 million I noted as a high mark. It’s slightly above the fully AHL buriable amount of $1.15, giving McMann some protection and certainty, while also locking in a player who can, if nothing else, take good shifts in the NHL and produce to some degree. If he carries his 18 points (10 goals) in 40 games production forward—where he’s played minimally, with fourth-liners, and is shooting a reasonable 12 percent—it’s going to be a great contract.
This also helps the Leafs’ books heading into next season, as without lifting a finger they already have most of their forward group locked up — barring trades — with the following group:
Knies – Matthews – Marner
McMann – Tavares – Nylander
Holmberg – Kampf – Jarnkrok
Reaves
There will be players they will want to move up and down accordingly, but it’s a good foundation in place. Conor Dewar and Nick Robertson are notable RFAs at forward who should be signed to cheap deals if the Leafs choose to do so—to say nothing of the possibility of a Marlie or other prospect like Easton Cowan taking a run at an NHL roster spot. Morgan Rielly, Jake McCabe, Conor Timmins, and Joseph Woll are all signed already, giving the Leafs roughly $21.6 million in cap space to fill out the roster, a minimum of two forwards, three defensemen, and a goalie.
The Leafs are set up fairly well to continue improving internally with the development of Knies, McMann, and Holmberg, plus the likelihood of Robertson and Dewar. That is a significant development for an organization that has either lacked depth or been running out veterans who were well past their best-before dates for years.
This is a much better solution to create continuity on the team, where they are giving young players ice time, developing them, and rewarding them accordingly.
