Bobby McMann became an essential part of Leafs but his scoring touch disappeared in home stretch

This will certainly become the answer to a trivia question at some point down the line, but Bobby McMann was scratched for opening night against the Montreal Canadiens. It took a while for McMann to get acclimated to head coach Craig Berube’s system but his omission from the Game 1 lineup certainly drew criticism at the time, and was confounding in retrospect. McMann became an essential part of the Maple Leafs’ roster this season, recording 20 goals and 34 points in 74 games. Unfortunately, when the Toronto Maple Leafs desperately needed some depth scoring during the postseason, while their superstars were listless in Game 5 and 7 losses, McMann went completely dry.

It’s this very contrast that defined McMann’s season. McMann’s elite straight-line speed helped drive the third line, with Max Domi and Nick Robertson as his most common linemates. There were times this season that McMann looked like he was going to reach a new gear, but he was a streaky scorer throughout the year. McMann did not register a goal in his final 24 games of the year, if you combine the regular season and the playoffs, with his last goal coming on March 25 against the Philadelphia Flyers. After showing signs of being a roster staple, McMann’s scoring touch completely disappeared in the most important games of the year.

How the year went

It was a busy season for McMann and though he registered 13 shots during the preseason, Berube didn’t include him in the opening game lineup. Toronto was blanked by the Montreal Canadiens on opening night, and McMann quickly found his place in the lineup. McMann played one of his best games of the year on October 16 against the Los Angeles Kings, where he was a force to be reckoned with on a two-goal evening.

“He’s got speed,” Berube said of McMann following the game. “He finished tonight, which was good to see. He’s a power forward, that’s how he should think the game. Night in, night out he’s a power forward with his skating and his size. He doesn’t have to complicate the game when he’s going in straight lines, bang bodies, and get to the net and score goals around the net.”

McMann’s scoring touch went dry again for the rest of October before breaking out in another two-goal performance against the Edmonton Oilers on November 16. He potted another two-goal game against the New York Islanders on January 2. And this is where the frustration stems from: McMann can often look like a top-six player as he’s one of the fastest 40 skaters in the league and he has the size and physicality to disrupt games. This version of McMann shows up inconsistently, however.

When the playoffs came around, McMann was expected to provide some scoring touch on the third line. McMann couldn’t beat teams in set scenarios, and registered three assists in 13 playoff games. He was effectively minimized when he wasn’t afforded space to produce off the counterattack and while he’s a quality player, McMann simply can’t get away with zero goals in his final 24 games, if he wants to be considered a member of the core group.

Statistical profile

All stats 5-on-5 via Natural Stat Trick

This aligns with what we know about McMann: he can get to the high-danger areas of the ice with relative ease during the regular season due to his blazing speed. He boasts an underrated shot and when he’s on his game, can win minutes handily against third-line competition. McMann needs to improve defensively, although he often had to play with two poor defensive players in Domi and Robertson and that may account for his sub-par metrics here. McMann needs to keep playing to his strengths and find ways of getting to the net in set scenarios. He’s excellent off the counterattack, but it cannot be the basis of his entire offensive profile going forward.

Select highlights

Bobby McMann breakaway goal, Los Angeles Kings, October 16, 2024

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