Bobby McMann isn't just fighting for a spot in the Toronto Maple Leafs' top six -- he's looking to define his future in the NHL.
Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube recently stated his firm and clear expectations for the 29-year-old left winger. He wants McMann "going to the net, being hard and physical." Berube also said McMann "can take another step in his game."
""But Bobby, I feel, can take another step in his game""Leafs' coach Craig Berube
McMann has been handed a plum assignment by Berube, alongside John Tavares and William Nylander, to start training camp as he enters the final season of his two-year contract. With unrestricted free agency looming and questions surrounding the Leafs' top six, McMann faces added pressure to perform.
McMann's opportunity is golden, and how he handles the coming season will shape both his role in Toronto and his future contract.
A lot at stake for Leafs' McMann in 2025-2026
McMann continued his surprising ascension up the Leafs' depth chart last season, registering twenty goals over his first sixty-three games played. This came after his impressive debut season as a regular in the Maple Leafs' lineup, during which he scored fifteen goals in fifty-six games in 2023-2024.
Unfortunately for McMann, he closed the 2024-2025 regular season on an eleven-game scoreless drought. During the playoffs, he managed only three assists across thirteen games.
Consistency, then, would be McMann's biggest hurdle to overcome in the 2025-2026 season. His size and forechecking ability (a hundred-plus hits in each of the last two seasons) add a needed power element to the Maple Leafs' forwards.
Berube mentioned that he likes a "big guy with those two guys (Tavares and Nylander), to forecheck, get in there and create loose pucks, help out JT in those situations." The Leafs have something similar on their top line with Matthew Knies riding shotgun with Auston Matthews.
McMann has already exceeded expectations as a Maple Leaf. The undrafted free agent signed with the Maple Leafs, then worked his way up to the parent club after apprenticing with the Toronto Marlies.
Over the last two seasons, he has established himself as a regular in the lineup, contributing double-digit goals while alternating mostly between third and fourth-line duty.
Now, with Berube's confirmation of a top-six role to begin this season, McMann has a chance to give the Leafs a pair of imposing power forwards within their top two lines. It's a chance to prove that he is a top-six winger, deserving to play with the team's stars.
For McMann, the 2025-2026 season is all about proving that he can hold down a spot in the Maple Leafs' top six. With clear expectations from his coach, heightened internal competition, and a contract year looming, the margin for error is slim.
If he can rise to the challenge and deliver consistent production, McMann not only strengthens Toronto's forward depth but sets himself up for a significant payday in free agency. The opportunity is in front of him: now it's a matter of seizing it.