Analysis: Breaking Down Where Newly Acquired Bobby McMann Fits with Kraken
Buzzer beaters are certainly more common in basketball than hockey. However, for Seattle Kraken general manager Jason Botterill, he sank one before the proverbial buzzer of the NHL trade deadline, which was at 12 PM PT on Friday.
The shot that sank through the net came after a very quiet deadline day on the trade front in Seattle otherwise, though news broke that the franchise had extended captain Jordan Eberle on Friday morning.
Pulling the trigger shortly before the deadline came and went, Botterill and company swung a deal for Bobby McMann of the Toronto Maple Leafs, who was acquired by Seattle for a 2027 second-rounder and 2026 fourth-round draft pick. They acquired him without parting with any of their three picks in the top 46 of the 2026 NHL Draft.
So, who is Bobby McMann? And where does he fit with this Kraken squad?
He's a left-shot player who went undrafted out of junior hockey but has carved out a respectable NHL career through perseverance. Starting in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) with the Bonnyville Pontiacs, he then spent four years at Colgate University in the NCAA, and eventually breaking into the pros with the Toronto Maple Leafs organization. He is now in the middle of his third full season of NHL action.
The Alberta native is something of a late bloomer, as he will turn 30 years old this summer.
What should excite Kraken fans is that his production has improved in each season he has been in the league. He reached 20 goals and 14 assists last season in 74 games in Toronto. This season, he already has 19 goals and 13 assists in 60 games. He will very likely set new career highs in goals and points when finishing this season in Seattle.
The question is, does McMann add enough offensive juice that the Kraken needed?
JFresh Hockey on X says McMann is a “speedy, scoring, utility winger” that “fires the puck from everywhere” but is “not a playmaker by any stretch.”
Bobby McMann, acquired by SEA, is a speedy scoring utility winger. Throws the body, forechecks, tips pucks, fires the puck from everywhere. Ambitious deker but turnover prone. Not a playmaker by any stretch. #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/47IIS0nufM— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) March 6, 2026
Speedy is an understatement, as he ranks in the 99th percentile with a max skating speed of 24.25 mph.
At 6-2 and weighing 217 pounds, McMann has a solid, physical presence on the ice. With Toronto, he never shied away from contact, ranking third on the team in hits this season. His 135 hits would rank third on the Kraken as well, and first among centers. The Kraken could certainly use a bit more physicality, especially on the offensive side of the ice.
Along with being physical, McMann can pepper the crease with the puck, with a shot speed ranking in the 81st percentile. He shoots the puck at an above-average rate.
In the Kraken's lineup, McMann projects as a middle-six forward, likely slotting in on the third line as a left wing or center. His versatility allows him to bounce between lines if injuries hit, and he could see penalty-kill duties given his physicality and speed.
One possibility is McMann being a left winger in Seattle’s third line, with Shane Wright at center and Kaapo Kakko on the right wing. That would bump Berkley Catton to the fourth line.
While he isn’t a prolific scorer, McMann’s 19 goals this year slide into second place on the Kraken roster, only behind Jordan Eberle’s 22. He won’t be a dynamic, needle-moving scorer each night but he definitely adds to the depth and versatility of Lane Lambert’s attack on offense.
At a digestible cap hit ($1.35M AAV), McMann immediately improves the middle depth without long-term commitment, allowing for the Kraken to have him in-house for the final stretch of the season before deciding whether or not to sign him to an extension.
