When the Toronto Maple Leafs signed Bobby McMann to a two-year extension following the 2023-24 season, it was a big bargain. McMann had just scored 15 goals in 56 games with the idea that he had much more to give. He’s currently in the middle of a career year with the Maple Leafs in the second and final year of his contract, with a career-high 17 goals in 53 games to date. This deal was supposed to be appealing to the Maple Leafs in the sense that it would give them a cheap secondary scoring option at little expense of the salary cap, but with the Leafs currently ten points out of a playoff spot, his contract has quickly turned into an attractive trade chip should the Leafs bite the bullet and decide to sell at the deadline. It’s a quick heel turn from the reports in recent weeks that the Leafs and McMann had started preliminary extension talks.
The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta recently reported that the Edmonton Oilers have shown serious interest in acquiring the 29-year-old pending unrestricted free agent (UFA), and it makes sense. Between his goal-scoring ability and his speed, he fits the bill of somebody you could slot in alongside Connor McDavid or Leon Draisitl for cheap as the Oilers look to make another deep playoff run. It also helps that he’s a native of Wainwright, Alberta, which is two hours east of Edmonton. So, should the Leafs and Oilers enter trade negotiations, what would a potential trade look like?
There’s one easy comparable here that’s so direct it almost hurts. The Vancouver Canucks recently traded forward Kiefer Sherwood to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a pair of second round picks and AHL defenceman Cole Clayton. Sherwood is 30 years old, has the same amount of goals as McMann with fewer assists, but he’s played fewer games. His contract also expires at the end of the season, and he’s making $1.5 million this season, slightly more than McMann, who’s making $1.35 million this season. Sherwood has the edge physically, but McMann is faster and isn’t afraid of contact even though he has significantly fewer hits. If the Maple Leafs decide to dangle McMann in front of the Oilers, they should be using that trade as a reference point.
The other route that the Maple Leafs could take here is the classic ‘bad contract with a better draft pick’. The Oilers signed forward Andrew Mangiapane to a two-year contract worth $3.6 million annually prior to the start of the season, and it hasn’t worked out so far. Mangiapane, who also happens to be a Toronto native, has been held to six goals and 12 points in 47 games this season, and the Oilers have put him on the trade block this season. He’s not a total lost cause and has shown that he can be a prolific goal scorer in the past, with a career high of 35 goals in 2021-22 and 14 goals in each of his last two seasons, but for a contending team looking to make a deep run, it’s hard to justify paying somebody nearly $4 million for the output of a fourth-liner.
There may be a world where the Leafs offer to take Mangiapane’s contract in exchange for a first-round pick. They don’t have their first-rounder in 2026, but they have one in both 2027 and 2028, meanwhile the Leafs are without a first-round pick until 2028. For as bleak as their 2026 draft situation looks right now, with the Boston Bruins currently owning Toronto’s first round pick (barring a total collapse that sees the Leafs slip into the bottom-5) following the Brandon Carlo trade at last season’s trade deadline, this could be an opportunity for the Maple Leafs to recoup some draft capital in what’s looking like more of a lost season as each day passes.
With these scenarios in mind, here are two potential mock trades accounting for both routes here.
Scenario 1: No cap dump
Edmonton acquires:
F Bobby McMann (1 x $1,35m)
Toronto acquires:
2026 second-round pick, 2027 second-round pick, D Beau Akey (prospect)
Scenario 2: Cap dump
Edmonton acquires:
F Bobby McMann (1 x $1.35m)
Toronto acquires:
F Andrew Mangiapane (2 x $3.6m), 2027 first-round pick, 2026 second-round pick
What would you like to see the Maple Leafs acquire in a potential trade for Bobby McMann? Let us know in the comments!
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