After swinging a late trade for Bobby McMann at the trade deadline, the Seattle Kraken appear interested in keeping the 29-year-old around beyond this season.
McMann, who had a goal and an assist in Saturday's loss to the Buffalo Sabres, has been a revelation in Seattle since the trade. The left-shot forward now has seven goals and 11 points in his first eight games with the Kraken.
Combine that with his total from the start of the season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and McMann has 26 goals and 43 points over 68 games.
The strong showing has undoubtedly been a factor in Seattle seeking a deal to prevent him from reaching free agency this summer — something that Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman discussed during the Saturday Headlines segment of Hockey Night in Canada.
"I don't think it's gone very far down the road yet, but (I'm under the impression that the Kraken have indicated to McMann that they would like to try and keep him," Friedman said.
Amid the lost season in Toronto, there had been some rumours earlier in the year that the Maple Leafs and McMann might have looked at some sort of reunion, but, of course, nothing materialized before the trade to Seattle.
McMann spent the first three-and-a-half years of his career with the Maple Leafs, collecting 60 goals and 100 points over 207 games.
"I don't think that the Maple Leafs and McMann ever really got close," Friedman later added. "I still think there was quite a gap before he was traded right before the deadline.
"But he's been an excellent fit there, and they, at the very least, have said, 'Can we talk here and figure out where things might go?'"
If Seattle and McMann aren't able to find a deal, the Wainwright, Alta., native will hit the open market at the age of 30 and would likely have a large market, thanks to his big season.
After their loss to the Sabres, the Kraken sit two points back of the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference. They have faded out of the playoff picture by losing five of their last six.
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