Bobby McMann Making an Immediate Impact With Kraken Amidst Playoff Push
By Jayd Serdy
Seattle, WA - The Seattle Kraken acquired Bobby McMann from the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 6th, this year’s NHL trade deadline, with the news of the deal coming out just after the actual deadline had passed. Immediately following the trade, McMann faced VISA issues; like many players coming to the United States from a Canadian team, he was unable to play for nearly a week. The Kraken had minimal updates, only able to explain the situation by saying things like “his visa hasn't cleared yet.” Seattle was getting antsy when it came to inserting their new addition into the lineup, and especially so considering the struggles for the Kraken following the trade deadline.
However, ahead of Saturday night’s matchup in Vancouver, everything changed. The team went out onto the ice for morning skate, and McMann was taking line rushes on the first line next to Matty Beniers and Jordan Eberle. Following morning skate, head coach Lane Lambert confirmed that McMann would be in the game and that his visa issue had been resolved.
“It’s hard playing the waiting game, trying to be ready, but also trying to make sure I get hard skates and make sure I’m staying in game shape. So that was a hard battle. And when you’re not sure if you’re going to go, you’re trying to save it a little bit, make sure that you’re ready to go. But I’m just happy that’s kind of over with, and I’m ready to go now.”
McMann had an immediate impact during that game. Not only was he noticeable on the ice, he scored Seattle’s second goal of the game on a powerplay late in the first period. The second period went by with the Kraken solidifying their lead in the game, and just over four minutes into the third period, McMann scored his second, and Seattle’s fourth of the game. Just under halfway through the third, he assisted on captain Jordan Eberle’s goal to complete a three-point performance in his Kraken debut.
“I think moving forward here, I feel like we’re a deeper team with Bobby, and it’s good to have him.”
“Bob was great the whole night. I thought he played with a lot of speed, physicality, made good plays, kept it somewhat simple, all of us did. I think that was kind of the game plan, just get it down in their zone and play them down there. That’s kind of what you’ve got to do. As time goes on, we play more and more with the guy, and you start to realize their tendencies, where they go on the ice, what they like to do with the puck. You just keep learning, but it’s a pretty good start.”
McMann’s performance in this game made a few marks in the theoretical Kraken history books:
He became the second skater to score in their Kraken debut this season, following Mason Marchment.
He became the first player in Kraken history to score multiple goals in their debut with the team.
Not Kraken-specific, but he also recorded his second straight 20-goal season, became the third undrafted player to reach the mark this season, and was the first player to post three points in their debut for any franchise since March 4th, 2023.
On Sunday evening, the Kraken were back home to take on the reigning champions, the Florida Panthers, and won in blowout fashion, 6-2. McMann’s impact continued on the first line in this game. He scored the lone power-play goal of the game halfway through the third period before assisting on defenseman Jamie Oleksiak’s second goal in as many games.
“Bobby’s been awesome. He’s fast, shoots the puck, kind of just what we needed, and gets in on the forecheck. I watched a lot of his games in Toronto, so I kind of knew his game before, and I like it a lot.”
Seattle Kraken forward Bobby McMann during the team's 6-2 victory over the Florida Panthers on Sunday, March 15th, 2026, at Climate Pledge Arena. (Photos by Bryant Garduque for Circling Seattle Sports)
Having two multi-point games made him even more of a ‘historical player’ of sorts:
He became the third Kraken player to score in each of his first two games (Daniel Sprong with in three games played from March 22nd-28th, 2022, and Jared McCann in two games played from Oct. 12th-14th, 2021)
He became the first Kraken player to record multiple points in each of their first two games with the team.
In Saturday night’s game, McMann also hit a career high in goals scored during one season (21), followed by a career high in assists in Sunday night’s game (15). If you combined his current goals this season, which fun fact is not how team stats are calculated, he would be tied at 22 with Eberle for the Kraken's goal lead.
To sum it all up, McMann has shown himself to be a solid addition to Seattle’s roster amidst their push to the playoffs, especially with the Jaden Schwartz injury looming. He’s scored three goals, two of which were power play goals, two assists, and has eight shots on goal with a +2 rating in just two games with the Kraken. Given McMann’s size and speed, his immediate production, and Seattle’s need for better wing talent after this season, don’t be shocked if the Kraken throw some money at McMann to stay beyond just the 2025-26 campaign.
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