Toronto Maple Leafs: Bobby McMann Returned to Action on Saturday

The Toronto Maple Leafs were expecting Bobby McMann to challenge for a roster spot at training camp. However, McMann was not medically cleared to play during that time.

Toronto Maple Leafs training camp and preseason were complete by the time McMann was cleared for action.

Once cleared, he was sent down through waivers to the Toronto Marlies of the AHL. McMann cleared waivers, which to some was shocking cause he could be valuable to many teams around the NHL.

It was nice to see the Leafs have some success with waivers after hardly any success with it last season.

McMann made an immediate impact with the Marlies in their home opener on Saturday, Oct. 14th.

He registered two goals and one primary assist in the Marlies 5-4 overtime loss to the Rochester Americans. McMann hasn’t played since May 17th, 2023, due to injury. He recorded 21 goals and eight assists for 29 points in 30 games with the Marlies last season.
(Stats from eliteprospects.com)

The Toronto Maple Leafs will be watching McMann to see how well he performs this season. He is a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA), and if he plays well enough, The Leafs will want to try and keep him in Toronto.

I don’t see McMann costing the Leafs more than $1 million a season. Although the NHL’s salary cap is going up a fair amount next season and in 2025, having serviceable players like McMann on cheap deals is beneficial.

After two games, Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Nick Robertson is leading the Toronto Marlies in points. He failed to score in the home opener on Saturday but did manage to register two assists. Robertson then registered two goals and an assist in the Marlies 5-2 win over the Utica Comets. He now has two goals and three assists for five points in two games.

Robertson, who was expected to challenge for a roster spot with the Leafs, didn’t make the cut out of training camp. Playing a ton of minutes with the Marlies is probably best for him right now. He has missed a lot of time with various injuries over the last three seasons. The main focus for him is to stay healthy and perform at a high level in the AHL.

Toronto Marlies captain Logan Shaw is also having a good start to the 2023-24 AHL season. He has two goals and two assists for four points in two games. He led the team in points last season with 21 goals and 48 assists for 69 points in 69 games.