Getty
Could Maple Leafs forward Bobby McMann get traded to the Avalanche?
The 2025-26 season has been a disappointing one for the Toronto Maple Leafs. At the time of this writing, they have a 27-21-9 record and are seventh in the Atlantic Division standings with 63 points. They are also currently six points behind the Boston Bruins for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
With how this campaign has gone for the Maple Leafs, there is a real chance that they will end up being sellers at the 2026 NHL trade deadline. Due to this, multiple of their players have come up in the rumor mill as trade candidates.
The Maple Leafs will have several pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs) to keep an eye on once the NHL Olympic roster freeze ends. Among them are Scott Laughton, Calle Jarnkrok, and Troy Stetcher. Yet, forward Bobby McMann is undoubtedly the most notable, as the 29-year-old forward is in the middle of a career year. He is also exactly the kind of hard-nosed forward that contenders love to target.
Now, McMann is being connected to the NHL’s top team with the trade deadline being less than one month away.
Avalanche Predicted to Acquire Maple Leafs’ McMann
In The Athletic’s latest NHL trade matchmaker column, Chris Johnston and James Mirtle each made predictions where a handful of top trade candidates could get moved ahead of the deadline. McMann was among the players discussed, and Mirtle interestingly predicted that the Colorado Avalanche would be the team that acquires McMann.
“Maybe the Avs aim higher, given the season they’ve had and their recent struggles. Or maybe this is just one of multiple additions they make. But McMann’s speed and booming shot would fit in well here in the middle six, giving Colorado some secondary scoring beyond their superstars. And his super-reasonable cap hit, especially with retention, would allow the front office to add elsewhere,” Mirtle wrote.
With the Avalanche having Stanley Cup expectations, it would make a lot of sense for them to add McMann to boost their forward group. McMann would only make a dominant Avalanche team even better, as he would provide them with another impactful offensive player who also plays with an edge.
When looking at the Avalanche’s roster, McMann could fit beautifully on their second line with Brock Nelson and Ross Colton. He would also give the Avalanche another player to work with on their power play, which needs help badly right now.
McMann Will Be a Very Popular Trade Target
If the Maple Leafs make McMann available for trade, there is no question that he is going to generate a lot of interest. This is because the 6-foot-2 forward is not only having a strong season but also has an easily affordable $1.35 million cap hit. Thus, if the Avalanche pursue him, they will have competition for his services.
The Edmonton Oilers have been connected to McMann, and Johnston predicted that they would be the team that acquires him. However, it would also make sense if other contenders like the Carolina Hurricanes, Vegas Golden Knights, and Tampa Bay Lightning tried to acquire the Maple Leafs forward.
Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if the Avalanche end up being the team that lands McMann from here. In 56 games this season, McMann has recorded 19 goals, 13 assists, 32 points, and 126 hits. This is after he set career highs with 20 goals, 14 assists, and 34 points this past season, but in 74 games.
Michael DeRosa Michael covers the NHL for Heavy.com. He has professionally covered the NHL since 2017 and has written for other publications like The Hockey News, BetMGM, Athlon Sports, and The Hockey Writers. More about Michael DeRosa
More Heavy on Maple Leafs
Loading more stories