Have the Toronto Maple Leafs found their next Bobby McMann? On the long road of Brandon Buhr.
The Toronto Maple Leafs continued their annual spring tradition of scouring the collegiate ranks for diamonds in the rough on Wednesday, officially announcing the signing of Union College forward Brandon Buhr to a one-year, entry-level contract, beginning with in the 2026-27 season.
Buhr, a 23-year-old native of Burnaby, British Columbia, will report immediately to the Toronto Marlies on an amateur tryout (ATO) for the remainder of the current campaign
Standing 6-foot-2 and weighing in at 205 pounds, Buhr represents a potential bottom-six option for the Leafs if he continues to develop. While the team signed the undersized but highly skilled defenseman Vincent Borgesi just 24 hours prior, Buhr is a north-south power forward who scouts describe as “fast and mean”.
After a quiet freshman season at Clarkson University, where he struggled to find ice time, he transferred to Union College and found his stride. Over three seasons in Schenectady, he became a fixture on the scoresheet, culminating in a senior year where he put up 19 goals and 36 points in just 35 games.
What the Leafs are getting is a player who lives in the high-danger areas. Scouts from Elite Prospects have lauded his puck-hounding mentality and his knack for winning wall battles before driving to the net. He isn’t just a physical presence, either; his offensive toolkit includes a high-end shot and elite hand-eye coordination. Fans might already be familiar with him without realizing it, with his mid-air, highlight-reel game-winning goal against RPI in the Mayor’s Cup.
The comparison that will inevitably be made in Toronto is to Bobby McMann. Like McMann, Buhr is a late-blooming college free agent with a pro-ready frame and a relentless motor. However, some analysts suggest Buhr might actually have a higher offensive ceiling coming out of school, given his consistent goal-scoring rates in the ECAC. He finished his Union career with 13 game-winning goals, the third-most in program history, proving a consistent ability to elevate his game when the pressure is highest.
For the Maple Leafs, this is a low-risk, high-reward gamble. He becomes the second Union Garnet Charger to sign with the Leafs in as many years, joining defenseman John Prokop in the Marlies’ locker room. If Buhr can leverage his “north-south” skating ability and lean into the physical identity the Leafs’ coaching staff demands, he could find himself competing for a checking-line role in the NHL sooner rather than later.