McMann pieced together what went wrong in Toronto in an interview<\/p>\n
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Published Mar 11, 2026 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 Last updated 11\u00a0hours ago \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 4 minute read<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n You can save this article by registering for free here<\/a>. Or sign-in<\/a> if you have an account.<\/p>\n There was a time when negativity never could affect Bobby McMann.<\/p>\n Advertisement 2<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.<\/p>\n SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.<\/p>\n REGISTER \/ SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.<\/p>\n THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authors<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Having fought his way up the NHL food chain, undrafted, through two minor leagues to first-line winger on the big-market Maple Leafs, McMann envisioned a lengthy career at Scotiabank Arena.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n But the same malaise that spread through the dressing room took down the Leafs and saw the UFA traded to Seattle<\/a> for draft picks last Friday while Toronto fell out of the playoffs.<\/p>\n McMann, whose Kraken debut is on hold until issues with his work visa are resolved, scored 39 goals in the past two seasons for the Leafs and pieced together what went wrong in Toronto in an interview with The Athletic<\/a> published on Wednesday.<\/p>\n ON WHAT WENT WRONG WITH THE TEAM THIS SEASON<\/p>\n \u201cWe had a lot of key players out early in the season (both goalies, plus Chris Tanev, Brandon Carlo, and shorter stints minus William Nylander and Auston Matthews<\/a>). You\u2019re not winning as much and then you get those players back and it\u2019s like, \u2018OK, we should be good.\u2019<\/p>\n Your Midday Sun<\/p>\n Thanks for signing up!<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Advertisement 3<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cBut sometimes, the team\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0clicking where you want it to.\u00a0Then you start trying to change things up a bit,\u00a0instead of trusting the system, trying to change the approach to the game. Whether that\u2019s systems, line combinations, guys trying to do different things on the ice because\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0not finding success individually, you start to deviate from the game plan.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery team in this league is so exceptionally good that when you\u2019re not working as a cohesive unit all the time and you\u2019re disconnected, things can start to go south pretty quickly. I think guys were maybe overthinking things a little bit too much \u2014 \u2018how do we get this back?\u2019 \u2014 rather than trusting the process in place at the start of the year.\u201d<\/p>\n We apologize, but this video has failed to load.<\/p>\n Play VideoIS\u00a0TORONTO A MORE DIFFICULT PLACE TO PLAY?<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, it can be. When things aren\u2019t going well, it\u2019s that much harder.<\/p>\n Advertisement 4<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re all human, and I think all NHL players at times get put on a pedestal. Everybody lets things get to them to a certain extent, some more than others.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen things aren\u2019t going well, a lot of us are so critical of ourselves already that\u00a0when you start hearing it from media, people around town, the people that you aren\u2019t as connected to, oftentimes you try and brush it off. But\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0hard because\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0human, and eventually it gets to you,\u00a0starts to wear on you. And you also understand the\u00a0magnitude\u00a0of the\u00a0Leafs\u00a0in that city and how important hockey is there.<\/p>\n \u201cSo\u00a0I think a lot of the guys who were really big competitors wear that on their\u00a0shoulders,\u00a0wear\u00a0the weight of the city on their shoulders because of how important the sport is there.\u201d<\/p>\n Advertisement 5<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n WAS THAT PRESSURE EVEN HARDER IN THE PLAYOFFS?<\/p>\n \u201cSo many people are riding on these playoffs,\u00a0wanting us to\u00a0do well and\u00a0that\u2019s\u00a0great\u00a0and it feels so good to be there.\u00a0That\u2019s\u00a0why\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0such a cool place to play and\u00a0that\u2019s\u00a0why I love playing in that city.\u00a0Everything\u00a0mattered,\u00a0people were paying attention to every little thing.<\/p>\n \u201cBut\u00a0there\u2019s\u00a0the other side of it where you wear a lot of that pressure on yourself to try and bring success\u00a0for\u00a0that city.\u00a0I feel like I tried not\u00a0to\u00a0as much as possible. But inevitably I did,\u00a0especially in\u00a0playoffs\u00a0(no\u00a0goals, three assists in in 13 games).\u00a0Our\u00a0(two-round)\u00a0run, I really felt even more that the city\u2019s watching,\u201d<\/p>\n AFTER BEING A HEALTHY SCRATCH FOR TWO GAMES PRIOR TO THE DEADLINE, HOW DID THE TRADE GO DOWN?<\/p>\n \u201cI wanted to stay a little\u00a0longer\u00a0(an extension was being discussed\u00a0in tandem with trade talk). That\u00a0wasn\u2019t\u00a0happening.<\/p>\n Advertisement 6<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201c(I was) just hanging out, watching my phone, watching other guys get traded. People probably knew more online and on Twitter than I knew.\u201d<\/p>\n HOW HARD WAS IT SAYING GOODBYE TO FRIENDS?<\/p>\n (The break-up with McMann and Scott Laughton was in the cards at Pearson Airport the night before the deadline when the Leafs flew home from New York. McMann was closest to defenceman Simon Benoit, goalie Joseph Woll, and forward Matthew Knies):<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s\u00a0never\u00a0a bad time\u00a0for a hug. Those relationships will last a lifetime. Sometimes people underestimate the importance of good character and good people and the effectiveness that has\u00a0a long career.<\/p>\n \u201cI had to fight my way into a\u00a0(2022-23)\u00a0call-up,\u00a0 then I was just trying to stick around. I appreciated every opportunity I got there. Everything was put in front of me, I just had to grab it. I don\u2019t have any regrets about the time and work I put in there.\u201d<\/p>\n Lhornby@postmedia.com<\/p>\n X:\u00a0@sunhornby<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n![\"Former](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0312-bobby-mcmann-maple-leafs.jpg\")
Former Toronto Maple Leafs winger Bobby McMann battles for the puck against the Winnipeg Jets earlier this year. Photo by John Woods \/The Canadian PressArticle content<\/p>\n![\"Toronto](\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/20.7.1\/websites\/images\/identity\/logo-identity-tsun.svg\"){kind=logo}
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