The Toronto Maple Leafs added a ton of depth forward this offseason, which means some players could be sent to the minors or be a healthy scratch.
NHL analyst Bryan Hayes of TSN on OverDrive believes Bobby McMann will be a healthy scratch this season as he wasn’t impressed with his play down the stretch. Hayes believes coach Craig Berube will want more physical players in the lineup than McMann.
“I’m not convinced he’s going to be there opening night,” Hayes said on OverDrive. “He doesn’t play as big as his credentials might suggest. He was awful in the playoffs, he should have come out of the lineup…
“There’s guys that haven’t proven that they can score goals, one of those guys would be Bobby McMann. So it’s not like McMann can put his hand up and say I’m guaranteed a spot. He’s making $1.3 million. I’m not saying he will be on waivers. A, they may trade him, B, he might just be the 13th forward. At $1.3 (million) you don’t need to play a guy like that.”
Hayes believes the Maple Leafs’ left wingers could be Matthew Knies, Dakota Joshua, Steven Lorentz, and Max Domi ahead of McMann. With that, the analyst doesn’t believe McMann’s roster spot or being an everyday player is a guarantee.
McMann is entering the final year of his two-year, $2.7 million deal as he’s earning $1.35 million this season.
McMann recorded 20 goals and 14 assists for 34 points in 74 games last season. But, in the playoffs, he had 0 goals and 3 assists in 13 playoff games as he was a non-factor, which is why Hayes believes he should be a scratch come opening night.
McMann Could be a Scratch for Maple Leafs
Hayes’ co-host, Dave Feschuk seemed to agree that McMann could be a scratch this season for the Maple Leafs.
Feschuck points to the additions the Maple Leafs made as a potential reason why McMann will be a scartch. He also believes Joshua was brought in to take McMann’s role after his disastrous playoffs.
“The other factor is, you are going to be inclined to give the new guys more of a shot than the guys you know,” Dave Feschuk said. “You are going to be inclined to give Maccelli more of a shot, you are going to be more inclined to give Joshua more of a shot, you are going to be more inclined to give Roy more of a shot. My point is, he already has had question marks about McMann and they got Joshua because he’s a Berube type of guy.”
If McMann isn’t scoring, his role could be reduced as he doesn’t play physical as Joshua or Roy do.
Joshua Eager to Play for Berube Again With Maple Leafs
A big reason why McMann could be a scratch is due to the addition of Joshua.
Joshua could take over McMann’s role as he has experience with Berube. He played under Berube with the St. Louis Blues. He’s eager to reunite with Berube and play for him.
“I spoke to him on the phone the other day,” Joshua said on Leafs Morning Take. “He’s a great guy and great coach. He was the one who kind of gave me my first shot in the league and I’ll forever be thankful to him for that. It was nice to see how he ran the team and obviously makes it that much more exciting to join and play for him again. Familiarity goes a long way.”
Joshua recorded 7 goals and 7 assistss for 14 points in 57 games last season.
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