The Blue Jackets were reportedly one of the teams that targeted Bobby McMann before the Maple Leafs traded him to the Kraken.
The Columbus Blue Jackets made a notable addition to their forward group ahead of the 2026 NHL trade deadline, as they acquired Conor Garland from the Vancouver Canucks.
However, it turns out Garland was not the only forward the Blue Jackets wanted to add ahead of the deadline.
According to The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta, the Blue Jackets were one of the teams in on Bobby McMann before the Toronto Maple Leafs traded him to the Seattle Kraken on deadline day.
"The Edmonton Oilers, Colorado Avalanche and Columbus Blue Jackets were among the teams in the mix for McMann before he was dealt to the Kraken," Pagnotta wrote.
Hearing that the Blue Jackets had interest in McMann is not necessarily surprising. He would have had the potential to be a strong addition to their top nine as they fight for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. This is because he would not only have given the Blue Jackets more speed and secondary scoring, but also more grit.
However, in the end, McMann is now with the Kraken. While this is the case, the Blue Jackets still did a good job adding Garland to their forward group.
In 60 games this season, McMann has recorded 19 goals, 13 assists, 32 points, and 135 hits.