TORONTO – Bobby McMann is headed west.

The struggling Toronto Maple Leafs dealt the winger to the Seattle Kraken for a second-round pick in the 2027 draft and a fourth-round pick in 2026 ahead of Friday’s NHL trade deadline.

Veteran centre Scott Laughton, the other pending unrestricted free agent forward on the roster, is also saying goodbye to Toronto. He was sent to the Los Angeles Kings for a conditional third-round selection in an upcoming draft.

McMann leaves Toronto as a developmental success for the organization. The 29-year-old signed with the club’s American Hockey League affiliate out of the NCAA in 2020 before working his way through the system and making his NHL debut during the 2022-23 season.

A late-bloomer from Wainwright, Alta., McMann put up 19 goals and 13 assists for 32 points in 60 games in 2025-26.

The six-foot-two, 217-pound forward played a total of 200 regular-season games for the Original Six franchise, finishing with 91 points (54 goals, 37 assists) and 121 penalty minutes. McMann added three assists in 13 playoff contests last spring.

McMann, Laughton and defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who’s signed two more seasons, were all held out of Toronto’s lineup Wednesday and Thursday for “roster management purposes” ahead of the deadline.

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Sitting eight points out of the final Eastern Conference playoff spot heading into Friday’s action, the Maple Leafs had a brief surge with three straight road wins heading into the Olympic break, but have dropped six straight (0-4-2) to fall eight points back of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

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Toronto has only been in a post-season spot a total of 48 hours since Nov. 7 and owns a 4-10-4 record since Jan. 12.

Laughton was originally acquired by the Maple Leafs, who will have the third-round pick in the Kings’ trade upgraded to a second if L.A. makes the playoffs, from the Philadelphia Flyers along with a couple of late-round selections ahead of last season’s deadline for forward prospect Nikita Grebenkin and a conditional 2027 first-rounder.

The 31-year-old from nearby Oakville, Ont., had a total of 10 goals and six assists for 16 points in 63 regular-season games with the team he cheered for as a kid.

Laughton, who was selected 20th overall at the 2012 draft, has 281 points (116 goals, 165 assists) and 414 penalty minutes across 724 contests with the Flyers and Maple Leafs. The six-foot-one, 190-pound forward has added 12 points (six goals, six assists) in 37 playoff games.

The Maple Leafs made their first move on Thursday, shipping depth centre Nicolas Roy to the Colorado Avalanche for a conditional 2027 first-round pick along with a fifth in June. The 29-year-old was part of the sign-and-trade deal with Vegas for Mitch Marner last summer that brought the star winger’s long march out of his hometown to a close.

The Maple Leafs’ stunning slide down the standings came after another training camp filled with promise and talk of end the league’s longest Stanley Cup drought.

Sure, Marner had exited in a disastrous example of asset management — he had a no-movement clause over the final two years of his contract and nixed at least one swap that would have netted Toronto an acceptable return — but there was hope new faces could fill the void by committee.

Roy, Matias Maccelli, and Dakota Joshua were brought in up front. A veteran defence corps remained intact. John Tavares and Matthew Knies had new contracts. Auston Matthews and William Nylander were both healthy. The goaltending duo of Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll were back looking to build on excellent statistical showings.

When the puck dropped in October, things never looked right.

Injuries played a part, but Toronto was simply second-best in too many facets on too many nights. A porous power play, woeful defensive structure, injuries and a seeming lack of effort all played a part a disappointing campaign that has 19 games left on the schedule.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 6, 2026.

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NHL general managers have until 3 p.m. ET on Friday to make a splash, tweak the edges of their roster, or secure deals with an eye toward the future.

The Canadian Press takes a look at some of the players who could be on the move before the bell sounds and GMs put down their pencils:

NAZEM KADRI

The hard-nosed Calgary Flames centre would be a welcome addition to any team looking to make a playoff push. A Stanley Cup champion with the Colorado Avalanche in 2022, the 35-year-old Kadri had 12 goals and 41 points through 60 games in 2025-26 heading into Thursday’s action. His contract also includes three more seasons with an average annual value (AAV) of US$7 million. Calgary dealt defenceman MacKenzie Weegar to the Utah Mammoth on Wednesday.

ROBERT THOMAS

The two-way centre is just 26 and has five years remaining on a deal that carries an AVV of $8.125 million, but his St. Louis Blues are clearly in a rebuild near the bottom of the NHL standings. Thomas, who won the Cup in 2019, has 13 goals and 37 points across 44 games this season.

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VINCENT TROCHECK

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Coming off a gold medal with the United States at the Milan Cortina Olympics, the 32-year-old centre with 12 goals and 39 points in 2025-26 could also be heading out the door with the New York Rangers looking to retool. Trocheck’s contract has an AAV of $5.625 million for the next three seasons.

BOBBY MCMANN

The 29-year-old pending unrestricted free agent winger with power and speed has put up 19 goals and 32 points in 60 games for the struggling Toronto Maple Leafs. A late-bloomer, McMann has played a total of 200 regular-season contests in the NHL, registering 91 points (54 goals, 37 assists) and 121 penalty minutes. Toronto traded centre Nicolas Roy to the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday.

BLAKE COLEMAN

Much like Kadri, the 34-year-old winger’s age doesn’t fit the Flames’ rebuild timeline. Coleman, who has one season left on his deal at $4.9 million, has produced 13 goals and 22 points in 48 contests this season. He won the Cup in both 2020 and 2021 with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

RASMUS RISTOLAINEN

The big, right-shot defenceman has registered one goal and five assists as part of an injury-hit campaign with the Philadelphia Flyers. The 32-year-old Ristolainen, who has one season left on his current deal at $5.1 million, could help shore up a contender’s blue-line corps.

JUSTIN FAULK

Also a right-shot defender, the 33-year-old is another St. Louis trade chip potentially heading out the door. The dependable, offensively gifted Faulk has 11 goals and 32 points in 2025-26. His contract runs through next season at $6.5 million.

SCOTT LAUGHTON

The gritty centre seems likely to be heading for a Toronto exit with unrestricted free agency looming. The 31-year-old Laughton has eight goals and four assists in a campaign that included significant time away due to injury. The Maple Leafs paid a heavy price for Laughton at last year’s trade deadline when they acquired him from the Flyers in a swap that included a first-round pick going the other way.

CONOR GARLAND

The 29-year-old winger has five seasons left on a contract with an AAV of $4.95 million, but his Vancouver Canucks are another club in clear rebuild mode. Garland has seven goals and 26 points across 50 games in 2025-26. The Canucks dealt right-shot defenceman Tyler Myers to the Dallas Stars on Wednesday.

EVANDER KANE

The 34-year-old pending UFA is a proven playoff performer, including back-to-back Cup final appearances with the Edmonton Oilers in 2024 and 2025. Kane and his $5.125 million cap hit were traded to Vancouver last off-season, but he could have another new address by the weekend following a season that’s seen the winger register 11 goals and 27 points in 59 games.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 5, 2026.

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TORONTO – The Toronto Maple Leafs put a positive spin on their fourth straight loss since the Olympics.

The Maple Leafs gained a point in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday, but they will enter their final 21 regular-season games seven points out of a playoff position.

But the Boston Bruins, the team that holds down the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, have played two fewer games than the Maple Leafs.

“We’re just trying to stay positive,” Toronto forward Dakota Joshua said. “It’s a tough time for our group.”

Last season, the Montreal Canadiens snatched the eighth and final playoff spot in the East with 91 points. That means the Maple Leafs need a minimum of 27 points in their final 21 games to have hope of securing a post-season berth.

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Joshua revealed that different Toronto players have stepped up with words of wisdom in the hopes of shaking the Maple Leafs out of a funk that has seen them lose 10 of their last 13 outings.

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“It’s about sticking together,” Joshua said. “It’s about finding a way.”

Joshua scored the Maple Leafs’ first goal before 18,255 at Scotiabank Arena in his third game back after missing two months with a lacerated kidney. The 29-year-old left-winger from Dearborn, Mich., admitted that it has been difficult to get his wind back.

“I’m feeling better every game,” he said.

The goal was Joshua’s first since he scored the game-winner at home against the Chicago Blackhawks on Dec. 16.

Toronto head coach Craig Berube shuffled his lines in an attempt to get his team a much-needed win. Nicolas Roy, between Joshua and Matias Maccelli, was an effective trio, providing the home team with some physicality.

“Since (Joshua has) come back, he’s been pretty good,” Berube said. “I thought he did a lot of good things again tonight. Other than the goal, even though it was a great shot, good play. For me, he’s being that heavy, physical player that we need a good job for us.”

Berube also put his two best offensive players, captain Auston Matthews and William Nylander, together on a line with Bobby McMann. While Nylander scored the tying goal with 2:30 remaining in regulation on the power play, Matthews extended his season-high goalless streak to eight games.

“I thought they were good,” Berube said. “Auston had eight shots. Willie had (four). They created. They just didn’t finish.”

The Maple Leafs’ busy post-Olympic schedule continues on Wednesday and Thursday for their fifth and sixth outings in nine days against the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers, respectively.

“That’s kind of like our blueprint,” Berube said in his analysis of the shootout loss to the Flyers. “We did a lot of good things tonight. We’ve got to go out to Jersey and do the same thing.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 3, 2026.

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TORONTO – There was no mincing words after the Toronto Maple Leafs’ latest loss, a 5-2 defeat to the visiting Ottawa Senators on Saturday.

“Just bad. Just fairly embarrassing, to be honest with you,” said Leafs captain Auston Matthews. “We need to have more pride in our play, no matter where we’re at, no matter what the situation is. We just have to have more pride in our game and we didn’t have that tonight.”

Matthews and the Maple Leafs have dropped three straight games coming out of the Olympic break on the heels of a three-game winning streak.

It’s getting dicey for the club which has made the playoffs in nine straight years — the longest active streak in the NHL — to ensure that run continues.

The Maple Leafs (27-24-9) entered action Saturday eight points out of a wild-card berth, and the road to get there is only more treacherous now.

“It’s hard. It’s the first time in a long time we’ve been in this position when we’re out looking in. So we gotta figure it out pretty quickly,” said forward William Nylander, who scored one of the Leafs’ goals. “Still not impossible, but we gotta play a lot better hockey if we want to be there.”

It was the Senators who looked like they wanted to be “there” a lot more.

Drake Batherson and Dylan Cozens each scored twice, and Thomas Chabot also got on the board for the Senators, who improved to 29-22-8 on the season to boost their slim post-season chances. Cozens also added an assist.

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The Maple Leafs scored the first goal of the game thanks to Morgan Rielly, but they were outscored 1-0 and outshot 16-0 for the remainder of the first period.

The Senators would string together 19 consecutive shots and three straight goals to take control of the divisional battle and earn their first win over the Maple Leafs since Game 5 of their first-round playoff series last year, which Toronto took in six.

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For the Maple Leafs, the slow start marked a continuation of sorts from Thursday’s loss to the Florida Panthers, when Toronto was outscored 3-0 and outshot 16-7 in the first 20 minutes.

“Good first five minutes, I thought. Obviously got the first goal, which we’ve been searching for,” said Toronto defenceman Jake McCabe. “And then we s— the bed after that.”

While the Maple Leafs struggled to find answers for their lack of desperation as they watch their playoff fortunes fade, they each cited “disconnect” as a reason for their current skid.

“We’ve had trouble stringing together good segments of games consistently. It’s just been too much of a roller-coaster,” Matthews said.

The Maple Leafs had leaned on their pre-Olympic run for optimism toward a potential second-half surge.

Now, that spark is all but snuffed.

“When I look at the game or show tape or go over things, there’s a certain way we need to play the game. But I can’t give guys this (points to heart) or this (points to head) and they have to come with that. That’s on them. They gotta bring the heart and the competitiveness that’s needed,” head coach Craig Berube said.

“I can go in there and yell and scream at them all I want. That doesn’t do anything either.”

With the trade deadline approaching on Friday, the Leafs could look very different in a week’s time.

Toronto’s pending free agents include forwards Bobby McMann and Scott Laughton in addition to defenceman Troy Stecher. Blue liner Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who has one more season on his contract, is also a candidate to be moved.

Berube admitted that uncertainty could play into the Leafs’ struggles.

“But in saying that, those are all excuses. And we can’t make excuses. Until guys in there decide they want to play the right way and play as a team, that’s what you’ll get,” Berube said.

Rielly, the veteran defenceman and longest-tenured Maple Leaf, refuted a notion that the team is quitting.

“Obviously an effort like tonight given what’s at stake is confusing and unacceptable. So moving forward, we need to not allow that to happen again,” he said.

Matthews called the current skid a “tough stretch.”

“It’s never fun to lose. It’s never fun to lose in this kind of fashion, three games in a row. So it’s hard. It definitely wears on you, but we just have to be better. There’s no hanging our heads, there’s no feeling sorry for ourselves. Everybody’s gotta look in the mirror and be better.”

Toronto has three more games before the deadline, beginning Monday against the visiting Philadelphia Flyers.

MIXED REACTION FOR MATTHEWS

The Maple Leafs honoured each of their three Olympians during the first television break on Saturday. Sweden’s Oliver Ekman-Larsson and William Nylander, who returned home without hardware, received widespread applause.

The reception for gold medallist Matthews wasn’t as warm as the Team USA captain was met with boos from the crowd before they were drowned out by cheers. He stood on the bench to acknowledge the crowd.

American teammate Brady Tkachuk, the Senators captain, was jeered when he appeared on the arena’s big screen for the first time.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 1, 2026.

&copy 2026 The Canadian Press

TORONTO – The Toronto Maple Leafs gave up four goals in the second period and dropped a 5-2 decision to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday at Scotiabank Arena.

Drake Batherson and Dylan Cozens each scored twice, and Thomas Chabot also got on the board for the Senators, who improved to 29-22-8 on the season. Cozens also added an assist.

Morgan Rielly and William Nylander found the back of the net for the Maple Leafs (27-24-9), who have dropped three in a row. Their last win was Feb. 4 against the Edmonton Oilers, just before the Olympic break.

Rielly got the scoring started with his eighth of the season less than three minutes into the first period, but it was all Senators from there.

Ottawa landed the next 19 shots on net and scored three unanswered to take a two-goal lead midway through the second frame.

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Nylander responded to cut the Senators’ lead to 3-2, but Batherson struck back with his second of the period less than two minutes later on a play the Maple Leafs challenged for offside and lost.

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Cozens registered his second goal on the ensuing penalty, chasing goalie Joseph Woll after 23 saves on 28 shots. Anthony Stolarz replaced Woll and stopped all 12 shots he faced.

Linus Ullmark had 21 saves for the Senators.

The Leafs frustrations boiled over early in the third period in the form of a brawl in front of Stolarz, which resulted in 28 penalty minutes, including a 10-minute misconduct to Max Domi.

It was the Leafs first home game since captain Auston Matthews won gold with Team USA at the Milan Cortina Olympics.

TAKEAWAYS

Maple Leafs: Toronto’s slow starts continued. After scoring the first goal and recording two shots, the Leafs were outscored 1-0 and outshot 16-0 for the remainder of the first period. The two shots marked the Leafs lowest total of any period this season.

Senators: Ottawa’s win was its first against the Maple Leafs since it lost to its provincial rival in a six-game first-round playoff series last season. The teams will battle twice more this season, with both games in Ottawa.

KEY MOMENT

The Maple Leafs honoured each of their three Olympians during the first TV break. Sweden’s Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Nylander, who returned home without hardware, received widespread applause.

But the reception for gold medallist Matthews wasn’t as warm, as the Team USA captain was initially met with boos from the crowd before they were drowned out by cheers. American teammate Brady Tkachuk, the Senators captain, was jeered when he appeared on the big screen. The U.S. beat Canada 2-1 in overtime in the gold-medal game in Italy.

KEY STAT

Matthews extended his career-long assist streak to six games when he set up Rielly’s first-period goal. Oddly, the one-time 69-goal scorer has also now gone seven straight without a marker.

UP NEXT

Senators: Visit the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday.

Maple Leafs: Host the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 28, 2026.

&copy 2026 The Canadian Press