Bobby McMann hoping to bring speed, physicality to Seattle Kraken lineup
Bobby McMann (74) takes part in his first practice with the Seattle Kraken on Monday, March 9, 2026. McMann was acquired in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs at the NHL's trade deadline on Friday. (Curtis Crabtree / FOX 13 Seattle)
SEATTLE - Bobby McMann is glad to have the NHL trade deadline behind him, even if it means joining a new team in the process.
McMann took the ice for the Seattle Kraken in practice on Monday for the first time since being traded by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the closing minutes before Friday's noon deadline. McMann found out about the deal when everyone else did.
"I kind of knew that something was going to happen. I was going to switch spots. So then I was just playing the waiting game. It was about 48 hours, just kind of waiting, checking my phone every three minutes to see who was calling and if there was any news," McMann said.
"And it was down to the last, actually an extra five minutes on the clock, after 3 o'clock when I got the call, so it must have went through like right at the deadline there. … Super pumped to hear it was Seattle, and excited to get going."
McMann had been held out of the lineup for two games by the Maple Leafs as he was made available in trade talks, so he was happy to get back into action during Monday's practice.
"Great facility, super spacious, all brand-new stuff. It's pretty sweet to see it, and I'm excited," McMann said.
McMann was eased into action during practice with the Kraken. He saw some time alongside Chandler Stephenson and Eeli Tolvanen on Seattle's second line as Jaden Schwartz is out indefinitely with a facial injury from Saturday's loss to Ottawa.
Head coach Lane Lambert coached McMann last season as an assistant with the Maple Leafs and is eager to get him into the lineup.
"He's got 19 goals. He had 20 last year. He’s slotting in on our hockey team’s top six," Lambert said. "We'll see where exactly he goes when the time comes, but that’s precisely where I see him.
"We're not going to overwhelm them right off the hop, but we're certainly looking forward to getting him into a situation where he can help us."
As eager as McMann and the Kraken are to get him into action, the logistics of accomplishing that are still in the works. McMann is working to get a work visa sorted out to work in the United States. He's spent the last six years in the Leafs organization and hasn't played for a U.S.-based team since 2020-21 with the ECHL's Wichita Thunder.
"I’ll kind of leave it to them," McMann said. "As much as I would like to help, I probably just get in the way."
"Soon as we can get that immigration thing sorted away, we look forward to getting him in the lineup," Lambert added.
At six-foot-2, 217 pounds, McMann adds size and speed to the Kraken lineup. Despite being a bigger forward, McMann has been clocked as the fourth-fastest skater in the league this season, per NHL Edge tracking, at 24.25 mph.
"I like playing the wing because I can slash out, use my speed. That’s been the biggest focus of my game my whole career," McMann said. "Playing with speed, trying to be physical, trying to push the pace, make it hard on their team, just be a hard player to play against. Trust that the scoring stuff will come after that."
McMann got into Seattle on Saturday and had a chance to get settled a little on Sunday. He had a long chat with Lambert on Friday night after the trade, and has heard great things about Seattle from former Kraken players such as Mark Giordano, Calle Järnkrok and Carson Soucy. He played with Giordano and Järnkrok in Toronto, and trains with Soucy in the offseasons.
They're all just saying same thing," McMann said. "Good city, good people. It's really an up-and-coming hockey city, which is cool. So we're looking to make a name here, and they've had some good success here lately, and just trying to keep that rolling,"
Outside of Schwartz, the Kraken had a full roster at practice with McMann on Monday. Defenseman Ryan Lindgren and forward Freddy Gaudreau had been held out of the lineup due to an illness for Saturday's 7-4 loss to the Senators.
It resulted in one of the worst performances of the year for Seattle, who need to rebound quickly against Nashville on Tuesday night.
"The illness wasn't great for us," Lambert said. "I thought our energy was pretty good today. We had a spirited, demanding practice. I thought some of the details in our game that weren't there on Saturday night needed addressing. I thought the guys did a good job of addressing it.
Lambert is hoping the wave of sickness is now behind them.
"I'm hoping we're out of it," he said. "I felt like today we were. But at the same time, the guys that were sick, you know, it took a toll on them. But I feel like, if today's any indication, hopefully we're out of it."
The Source: Information in this story came from FOX 13 Seattle reporting.
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