Bobby McMann worked hard for every bit of this journey.
The Toronto Maple Leafs forward played his college hockey at Colgate and went undrafted.
From there, he had to start his pro journey down in the ECHL and climb from there to the AHL and finally the NHL.
He's turned himself into a quality player at the top level, and this season, he has 15 goals and 10 assists already.
McMann's productivity is coming at a good time. He's an unrestricted free agent after the season.
NHL insider David Pagnotta thinks that McMann could get $5 million per year on a new deal.
He adds that the Maple Leafs themselves are looking into an extension, which would prevent McMann from ever hitting the open market.
McMann is 29 years old and likely has a solid chunk of years left in his NHL career, and his journey to the league tells you he isn't going to stop working hard to be the best player he can be.
That's the kind of guy you keep around if you can. The Maple Leafs are in the driver's seat here with the chance to negotiate with McMann before free agency arrives.
If they can keep him around for the long run, that's a good thing for the outlook of their team moving forward. Not everyone is a star. Teams also need guys like Bobby McMann.
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