The Toronto Maple Leafs have been in a tricky spot lately. While they have surely lost their best forward with the departure of right winger Mitch Marner, the Maple Leafs still have a couple of options. The likes of center Auston Matthews and right winger William Nylander seem like good replacements.
But even beyond them, the Maple Leafs have many names they can use to build their top six for their season opener against Detroit. However, Bobby McMann isn’t on that list as of now — one analyst is still unconvinced about the forward.
NHL Analyst Not Sure if Bobby McMann Will Make It to the Maple Leafs Lineup
While the Toronto Maple Leafs have been pretty loaded when it comes to their offensive options, forward Bobby McMann has failed to make his mark yet. Many have expected him to be part of the top six in the upcoming season with longtime Leaf Mitch Marner’s exit.
But some believe that center Max Domi will be the name people expect to fill in for Marner. With that in mind, McMann’s name remains unclear. On a recent episode of TSN Overdrive, Bryan Hayes, Jonas Siegel, and Dave Feschuk discussed the probable lineups for Toronto.
“I’m not convinced McMann cracks the lineup on opening night.” – Hayes
Hayes, Jonas and Feschuk discuss Bobby McMann’s role with the Maple Leafs and if he will be included on the depth chart in Toronto. #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/YJS6NRkcDQ
— OverDrive (@OverDrive1050) July 29, 2025
When Siegel was asked if he had his lineup for the opening night, he mentioned, “I have, like, a depth chart of everyone, but in, like, rough places.” He mentions there are a lot of holes in who is going to play where.
He names Matthews and Knies as the names he will put on the first line. But he also names McMann on the left wing. This comes as a surprise since he managed just 20 goals and 14 assists in the previous season. And Hayes was quick to point this out.
“How is Bobby McMahon? He didn’t score on the team in goals last.” Hayes mentioned. “Yes, he hit 20 goals. Did he score any more beyond that? No, like literally not.”
Siegel mentions how nobody the Maple Leafs have added can score. To this, Hayes says, “Two years ago (Dakota) Joshua had 18. That’s no different from McMahon this year.”
He continued, “What was his shooting percentage when he got red hot?” He believes that while everything was going well for McMann, he might’ve been an option.
But Hayes also mentions, “I’m not convinced he’s going to be their open 100% on the team.” According to him, McMann is not the type of player that head coach Craig Berube prefers to have in his lineups. Feschuk mentions that Berube prefers someone like Joshua.
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While McMann, with his 6’2″, 215-pound frame, is big and physical, he isn’t as physical as Joshua, who is even bigger at 6’3″. Not to mention, McMann was also inconsistent in the playoffs and didn’t impress too much against the Senators in the first round.
With that in mind, it will depend on whether Coach Berube will include him on opening day or if he will prefer Domi.
