There’s a few different ways to evaluate the Seattle Kraken signing forward Bobby McMann, and I’m going to look at a lot of them for you.
Most Seattle fans won’t be familiar with the player’s background unless they happened to read our scouting report after the acquisition on March 6th.
Here’s the devil’s advocate side of things:
We’re talking about a 30-year-old forward who just cashed in on a change of scenery, signing a six-year deal worth $5.75-million per season. One would hope he’s set for life. His highest annual salary prior to this was the $1.35-million he made the last two seasons. Prior to that he made the NHL minimum.
He signed this new deal after playing 18 games for the Kraken.
Keep in mind, optimistically considered a “late bloomer”, McMann has only played 218 NHL games. That’s the equivalent of two-and-a-half seasons.
He played 118 games in the American Hockey League and a handful in the double-A ECHL early on. He was undrafted into the NHL after playing college hockey at Colgate University in upstate New York. The Toronto Maple Leafs signed him as a free agent in March of 2022 and he found it difficult to crack the NHL line-up. This wasn’t surprising since the Maple Leafs were loaded up front and the top-six, mostly four of them*, sucked all of the air out of the room.
One very basic thing to keep in mind: A solid majority of NHL players seem to find a magical way to play their best seasons in contract years. Crazy huh? Well, with an expiring contract and an opportunity to cash in, McMann got the job done. He threw together ten goals and four assists during his 18 game Kraken stint, playing in what were, for the most part, meaningless games.
McMann was known to show flashes of brilliance with Toronto as well, but then he’d disappear for stretches. A complete non-factor. He’d give them a taste, and then go missing.
I’m just telling you what I’ve heard from media who watch every game in Toronto, something I did in that press box for about a six-year stretch ending in 2019.
That said, on a happier note, one could easily suggest that this production burst came from a happy player following a delightful change of scenery. He was no longer buried. There’s a strong likelihood he’s matured physically and mentally and he’s comfortable in his own hockey skin.
There’s no question he can fly. Point to point he’s one of the fastest players in the league. He showed he’s not afraid to go to difficult spots to find the puck and he’s adept at finding open areas.
He did have a 20-goal season for the Maple Leafs in 2024-’25 and had already potted 19 for Toronto before the trade to Seattle. With the Kraken output, that’s a 29-goal NHL season.
Kraken GM Jason Botterill is optimistic he’s caught this player on his inevitable rise. Team and line chemistry will also play a part. How many other offensive threats develop in the Kraken line-up, still a question mark, will also determine how much attention McMann gets from the opponent’s best defenders.
There are no guarantees. That’s simply how things work in the league. It’s definitely not a perfect science, and one should never be surprised. Disappointed or particularly happy or somewhere in between, but never surprised.
Now you know.
(* William Nylander, John Tavares, Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner)
Earlier Kraken:
— Kraken Traded For A Great Player With A Ton Of Potential
