Marlies head coach identifies who he believes will be the Leafs' next AHL call-up
Aside from a bit of a slow start to the season, the Leafs have largely been playing some very good hockey this year. When you consider how many Marlies have been sliding in and out of roster spots all season long in all 3 positions (forward, defense and in goal), it's all the more impressive to see the Leafs tied for 2nd in the league with the Carolina Hurricanes with 57 points, though both clubs are still 11 points back of the 1st place Bruins, who have 68 points on the season.
We have seen Erik Kallgren, Mac Hollowell, Filip Kral, Joey Anderson, Pontus Holmberg and Semyon Der Arguchintsev all get NHL looks this season, but according to Marlies head coach Greg Moore, the next call up could be someone else entirely.
During a recent Leafs mailbag write-up, The Athletic's Joshua Kloke took one of the questions straight to the Marlies bench boss, asking Moore who he thought was next in line from the AHL roster to get a look at the NHL level. Somewhat surprisingly, Moore went with Bobby McMann. He did caution, though, that it's simply his opinion, but won't be his call.
-Marlies coach Greg Moore on who he believes could be the next Marlies graduate to make the jump for the Leafs
McMann was not drafted, instead using his college career to springboard his pro hockey career, signing with the Leafs through the 2023-24 season. The 26-year-old set the Marlies rookie scoring record last year, tallying 24 goals. He also racked up 11 helpers, for a total of 35 points in 61 games. So far this season, McMann has produced 8 goals and 7 assists for 15 points in 17 games - a sharp increase from last year's pace.
McMann was also named AHL Player of the Week after recording 6 points in 3 games and is currently enjoying a 6-game point streak.
| POLL | ||
JANVIER 9 | 132 ANSWERS Marlies head coach identifies who he believes will be the Leafs' next AHL call-up Will Bobby McMann be the next Marlie to be called up to the Leafs? | ||
| Yes | 82 | 62.1 % |
| No | 50 | 37.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
