McMann in line to make a post-season impact for the Maple Leafs

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BUFFALO — Bobby McMann’s focus, when we spoke on Tuesday morning, was on the Maple Leafs’ final two games of the 2024-25 regular season.

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If the Leafs forward was taking a peek ahead to next week, though, we couldn’t blame him.

A year ago, McMann was anticipating his first taste of the Stanley Cup playoffs when he suffered a sprained MCL on April 13 against the Detroit Red Wings. It happened in the Leafs’ last home game of the regular season, and for McMann, there was no return.

He missed the first round against the Boston Bruins, won by the Bruins in seven games, but was trending toward getting back in the lineup had the Leafs advanced to the second round.

“It was very hard,” McMann said. “I wanted to play, wanted to contribute, wanted to do everything I could.

“I wanted to feed off that energy that was going on in the city and in the rink. It was a different energy, and it was a different feel, and I wanted to feel that by playing.”

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Instead, McMann watched home games against the Bruins from the press box at Scotiabank Arena. When the games were in Boston, McMann watched on TV from his downtown condo.

“You see the guys after the game, or see them around the rink the next day,” McMann said. “You watch the game, see how it went, and then you could also see how guys were feeling about it, and you just wanted to be in there competing.”

Knock on wood, McMann, who had 20 goals going into Tuesday night, will get that chance this spring.

The thinking a year ago was that his industrious, physical, go-to-the-net nature would have been perfect for the post-season. In polling scouts last April, we asked about potential darkhorse-type players for the Leafs in the playoffs. One said his pick would be McMann, provided the player was healthy and able to play.

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We bumped into that scout recently and reminded him of that conversation.

“McMann isn’t a darkhorse now,” the scout said. “He has arrived.”

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McMann’s development under coach Craig Berube has taken steps forward. At 6-foot-2, 215 pounds, McMann has further benefited with Berube behind the bench, and the work that McMann does during the summer has played a role as well.

After he spends some time back home in Wainwright, Alta., at the end of the season, McMann returns to Toronto to get back to business.

“I work a lot on skills in the summer, and I try to do my skills separately throughout the season,” McMann said. “Once it’s game time, all the focus is on compete. If I have the puck, usually the skills will take over, and I can hit the back of the net if I get the puck on my stick. It’s trusting that, but focusing on the competing side.”

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McMann didn’t try to set offensive targets coming into this season. As it was, he was a healthy scratch for the season opener. That hasn’t happened since.

“I think I’ve ran into trouble (setting goals),” McMann said. “I don’t set numbered metrics or anything. My metrics every game are: Did I compete? Did I win battles? Did I skate?”

It’s going to be mostly uncharted territory for McMann at the professional level once the first round starts. His resume includes one playoff game with the Toronto Marlies in 2023 and five with Wichita of the ECHL in 2021.

Whether McMann lines up on a line with John Tavares or has a spot on the third line remains to be determined.

What’s certain is McMann knows what’s capable of bringing to each shift. And Berube doesn’t wonder what he’s going to get out of McMann when he fills out the lineup card.

“I’ve tried to play consistently, trying to be effective every night,” McMan said of his season as a whole. “That’s not necessarily being offensive, but trying to be hard on their D and force turnovers and things like that.

“I always want to grow my game and be better, and I’m going to continue to work to be better.

“I think I’ve done a good job of that. I’ve definitely been happy with it.”

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