The Toronto Maple Leafs star forward will not play against the Nashville Predators on Wednesday with an undisclosed injury that has been “lingering for a w It’s been a whirlwind 36 hours for Bobby McMann. After a hot stretch with the Toronto Marlies where he picked up three goals and three assists in three games, the 26-year-old was named the AHL's Player of the Week for the period ending Jan. 8. On Monday night, Marlies GM Ryan Hardy called him and gave him the good news. "He said you're going to be going up tomorrow and be practicing and I was pretty excited," McMann said of the chat. The Maple Leafs needed another body with Auston Matthews missing practice on Tuesday. On Wednesday morning it was confirmed by Maple Leafs head coach that Matthews will be out of the lineup with an undisclosed "lingering" injury and McMann would indeed make his NHL debut. McMann's parents, Connie and Cecil, were on a flight from Alberta to Toronto as of Wednesday morning to be ready to see their son in the lineup. Cecil will also stick around and join the other fathers for the annual dads' trip through games in Detroit and Boston this week. But for McMann, the objective from the Maple Leafs is simple. "We're not going to try to overwhelm him," Keefe said of McMann. "He's a guy that is at his best when he's moving his feet and skating, a big, strong guy." McMann is an undrafted free agent and made his mark with the Marlies this season. The 32nd player to draw in for the Maple Leafs this season, he'll be used on the team's third line with Alex Kerfoot and David Kampf, as Pierre Engvall moves up to help fill the void of Matthews. "The hope is that he can make an impact right away," Keefe said of McMann. "But of course, we'll be patient with him. With eight goals and 15 points in 17 games with the Marlies this season, McMann has displayed an excellent combination of speed and shooting. His combination of speed and size made him stand out among other players the Leafs could have selected to call up from the Marlies. McMann will become the first player in Leafs history to wear No. 74 in an NHL game when he suits up against the Predators. It's been a long road for the Wainwright, Alberta native who never quit believing in himself to get to the show. "It's something I've always wanted my whole life," McMann said on Wednesday. So I kind of just stuck with it and persevered with the grind and the workouts and the skates and then just trusted that eventually, it might come around and that it might work out for me.” McMann began his career in Jr. A before attending Colgate University for four seasons. He joined the Leafs organization in 2020 with the aim to prove himself. He bounced a little between the ECHL and AHL before sticking with the Marlies for much of the 2021-22 season. Although it's early in the Marlies year, McMann has stood out among a very talented group that includes other prospects who have already played in the NHL. "He stayed with it and worked incredibly hard," Keefe said of McMann's road to the NHL "He's been a valuable member of the organization and gets rewarded for it tonight."
