Stanley Cup Champion Reveals the Missing Piece for Maple Leafs' Playoffs Success
Devante Smith-Pelley knows about winning a Stanley Cup, and he thinks the Maple Leafs' key to getting there lies in the hands of their power forward Bobby McMann.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have not found playoff success in over 20 years, with 2022-23 being the first time they advanced past the first round since 2004. They also have a 56-year Stanley Cup drought both the team and its fans desperately want ended.
A flurry of roster moves this summer has turned Toronto completely on its head, however an up and down start to the season, however according to a Devante Smith-Pelley: The solution already had a player, he just wasn't available.
The Mysterious Missing Piece
To Smith-Pelley, the missing piece of Toronto's roster was none other than their power forward Bobby McMann:
Smith-Pelley says McMann reminds him of himself; a gritty and no-nonsense forward who has the ability to score. For his career, he had 44 goals but when he won the Cup he had seven goals alone in that year's playoffs. It shows that another gear needs to be tapped into in order to get to that next level.
Missing the last two regular season games as well as all seven playoff games against the Bruins, McMann was unable to bring Toronto the production he gave them throughout the year, having 15 goals and being a key part of their bottom six putting in work.
They could have used him too. While he wasn't a highlight reel player, McMann played his role to perfection last year, and was a big reason why Nick Robertson and John Tavares were so successful at points.
At 6'2, 210-pounds, McMann is a Craig Berube mould if there ever was one, and would have allowed Robertson and Tavares to shine a bit more. McMann is built for these situations where you dig in deep and fight for pucks to open up chances, and without him Toronto was sorely lacking.
This season, he has three goals and an assist, but has played more of a defensive and grittier role, but if he's given a chance to succeed with some playmakers like he did earlier with Max Domi and William Nylander (perhaps not those two per se) McMann could be a wrecking ball for this year's playoffs.
Bobby McMann's injury cost the Leafs in the playoffs last season, and it may not have been obvious
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Is Bobby McMann the missing piece to the Maple Leafs' playoff success? | ||
