McMann traded to Kraken by Maple Leafs for 2 draft picks

Bobby McMann was traded to the Seattle Kraken by the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday for a fourth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and a conditional second-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.

"With the addition of Bobby McMann, we wanted to look and try to add a piece to our group," Seattle general manager Jason Botterill said, "someone who can play in our top nine. We look at Bobby as a player that brings speed to our lineup, gets pucks to the net, gets to the net, and I think can complement the rest of our group very well."

The 29-year-old forward, who has 32 points (19 goals, 13 assists) in 60 games this season, said the news took a little longer than he expected; he sat out the Maple Leafs' past two games for roster management purposes.

"It's been wild. (Toronto general manager Brad Treliving) called me a couple of days ago, and said, 'We're taking you out of the lineup,'" McMann told TSN on Friday. "Thought it would probably happen a little sooner. Then I spent the past 48 hours kind of waiting it out.

"You try to stay off social media, stay off your guys' insider takes, but inevitably it finds you. You start to think about, 'OK, what would this team be like?'"

An undrafted free agent, McMann has 91 points (54 goals, 37 assists) in 200 regular-season games for Toronto and three assists in 13 Stanley Cup Playoff games. 

"You look at Bobby's history, he's worked at every level to get his opportunity to be a successful story in the National Hockey League," Botterill said. "His ability to play up and down the lineup, we just felt it was something that would fit very well with our group from a skill set standpoint."

He is in the final year of a two-year, $2.7 million contract ($1.35 million average annual value) and can become an unrestricted free agent after the season. 

"We'll get him to Seattle, get him part of our mix, and just sort of see how he fits in," Botterill said regarding a potential re-signing. "I think it's a situation of seeing how he fits in with our group and making sure that he likes Seattle, he likes his role here, and then we'll see where it goes in the offseason."

McMann said "there was mutual interest" in trying to complete a new contract with the Maple Leafs.

"I think it just came down to where the team was at and how things were going for the organization," he said. "I think (Treliving) just wanted to take a bit of a different approach and try and re-jig the team as much as he could. I think it came down to that more than anything. 

"It was a place I would have loved to play for a long time. I was super happy with the opportunity that everyone gave me in the organization, and I am always going to be thankful for that. Definitely good memories there but excited to move on to the next."

The Kraken (29-23-9) hold the second wild card into the playoffs from the Western Conference, three points ahead of the San Jose Sharks, Los Angeles Kings and Nashville Predators.

McMann will be reunited with Seattle coach Lane Lambert, who was an assistant with the Maple Leafs last season.

"Lane definitely knows the game well," McMann said. "Is very direct. It will be nice to see him again. And being in a playoff push will be great. Every game matters so much more."

The Maple Leafs (27-25-11) are seventh in the Atlantic Division, eight points behind the Boston Bruins, who hold the second wild card in the East and have played two more games.

They have lost six straight games (0-4-2) since the Olympic break, and 12 of 15 (3-9-3).