Seattle Kraken left winger Bobby McMann will be facing the Toronto Maple Leafs for the first time in his career since being traded there at last season's trade deadline. He was dealt to the Kraken for a 2026 fourth-round draft pick and a conditional 2027 second-round pick.
On Wednesday at Climate Pledge Arena, McMann will see some of his old teammates for the first time since his departure.
However, he has noted that the team is very different from the time that he was traded away from Toronto. The team's regime has completely changed since being traded. Leafs GM John Chayka made an abundance of additions, nearly overhauling the roster, particularly the forward group.
After the Kraken's morning skate session, McMann was asked if he was able to catch up with some of his former teammates the night before.
"No, they're busy with a group dinner," he said. "So yeah, didn't work out. Actually, not many guys, though, that I would have even been able to catch up with because it's a very limited roster compared to what it was last year."
There was an episode last season of the Maple Leafs' Blueprint series that saw Simon Benoit, Joseph Woll, Matthew Knies and McMann all go out to eat together at a restaurant on the road. Those players are no longer together, with Benoit and Woll still teammates, but with the Philadelphia Flyers .
So far this season, the first full season in his new surroundings, McMann has scored three goals and five points in the first 12 games of the season for the Kraken. As a team, Seattle has a 7-4-1 record, with a 2-2-1 mark in their last five games.
Despite all the change, with Toronto in town, McMann understands what he and his team are going up against, specifically with the top-end talent on the Maple Leafs in Auston Matthews and William Nylander.
"They're dynamic, and they can create at any point throughout the game," McMann said about the Leafs' stars. "They're both good competitors. Like, Willy's so dynamic off the rush, and Auston can really score from anywhere. So, it's continuing to get through those guys, knowing that they're on the ice, and I think focus on our game too. Because if we're skating like we do, then we can shut those guys down."
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