On Tuesday night Toronto Maple Leafs depth winger Bobby McMann exploded with more goals than his previous 36 NHL games combined.
Prior to the contest between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the St. Louis Blues it was announced that Morgan Rielly would be suspended for five games, while Mitch Marner and John Tavares would both be out of the line-up with an illness.
Before it was known that to two of the top Four Core players would be out sick it was believed that McMann was going to be in the press box. However, with the roster depleted McMann not only found himself back in the line-up, but being moved up to the third line instead of his usual role on the fourth.
The former graduate of Colgate University exploded with a career game which started when he opened the scoring in the first period on a power drive from the corner to slide it by Jordan Binnington.
Midway through the third period with the Maple Leafs holding a one goal lead, McMann would lift the puck from a tough angle over the Blues goalie's left shoulder for an insurance goal. Then late in the third period he would show off his billiards skills by banking a puck off the boards from his own end into the empty cage for the hattrick.
Bobby McMann Looks Very Similar to a Previous Prospect
Unfortunately for McMann he has not been given the opportunity he likely deserves this season as he was originally placed on and cleared waivers to start the season. He would then bounce back and forth between the Maple Leafs and Marlies for the first couple months of the year until he found a way to remain with the club since mid December.
Throughout his tenure with Toronto, McMann has displayed a lot of similarities to a previous prospect and current Dallas Star power forward Mason Marchment.
Both players went undrafted, both players signed minor league deals with Maple Leafs affiliate teams and both earned NHL deals after one full season with the Toronto Marlies.
Both Marchment and McMann showed they were big bodies with strong skating abilities and a scoring prowess. In his final 112 games with the Toronto Marlies, Marchment potted 37 goals, while McMann had scored 47 goals in his last 97 AHL games.
One mistake by Kyle Dubas during the 2019-20 season was trading Marchment to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Denis Malgin who would go on to play eight games while going pointless.
McMann is a pending unrestricted free agent this summer and unless the Maple Leafs get a deal done he will be free to sign with whatever team he likes.
After Marchment left Toronto, the 6'5" winger would score 20 goals and nearly 60 points in 87 games with the Panthers, which would earn him a four-year deal worth $19 Million with the Dallas Stars. Since his arrival in Texas, he has recorded 29 goals and 73 points in 120 games.
McMann who has been stapled to the fourth line had averagred just 9:10 of ice-time prior to Tuesday nights, however with the promotion and 13:30 he rewarded coach Sheldon Keefe with three goals.
The former Bonnyville Pontiac has proven he can score at every level of hockey before cracking the NHL and when he was given his first true opportunity he succeeded. McMann could be the power forward that fits in on a third line and if given more offensive opportunities could he continue on the same path as Marchment?