VANCOUVER – Bobby McMann knew issues would really feel a little bit completely different on Saturday evening.
Taking part in his first sport in a Seattle Kraken jersey, the previous Toronto Maple Leafs ahead needed to make an influence together with his new workforce.
“It virtually resembles, in a approach, your first sport,” he mentioned. “You’ve received a wholly new group, new group, new followers. You need to make an amazing first impression.”
McMann made an amazing impression on the rating sheet, tallying two targets and an help because the Kraken (30-26-9) thumped the Vancouver Canucks 5-2.
“Generally issues go your approach a little bit bit greater than different nights and, fortunately, that was tonight for me,” he mentioned.
“That was a enjoyable one. It’s all the time good to get the win, after which once you contribute, it makes it that a lot better.”
Seattle acquired the 29-year-old athlete from Toronto forward of the NHL’s commerce deadline on March 6 in trade for a fourth-round choose within the 2026 draft and a conditional second-round choice in 2027.
It was a large change for McMann, who went undrafted earlier than signing with the Maple Leaves as a free agent in April 2022.
He performed 199 regular-season video games for Toronto, amassing 52 targets and 36 assists, and added one other three assists over 13 playoff appearances in final season.
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Saturday marked McMann’s first sport since March 2. The Leafs opted to sit down him forward of the deadline and, after the commerce, the native of Wainwright, Alta., waited a full week for his work visa earlier than lastly slotting into the Kraken’s lineup on Saturday.
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The brand new addition was fast to make an influence.
McMann’s first of the evening — and twentieth of the season — got here 19:10 into the primary interval when he beat Vancouver netminder Nikita Tolopilo with a sharp-angle shot on an influence play.
“I assumed (Shane Wright) tipped it possibly as a result of I didn’t know if that one was moving into with the shot that I had,” he mentioned. “So it was extra of a cross to him, however I feel it simply fooled the goalie as a result of I feel he simply missed it type of factor, and trickled in.”
He added one other tally early within the third, changing into the primary participant to attain a number of targets in his debut for the Kraken.
McMann added pace to Seattle’s high line, which additionally consists of centre Matty Beniers and captain Jordan Eberle, mentioned head coach Lane Lambert.
“You noticed it immediately, first shift when he’s monitoring the puck and he’s received a ton of pace and it’s a welcome addition for us from that standpoint,” he mentioned. “Clearly the targets he scored, he had an actual good probability to make it three as properly. I feel it went off the knob of the goalie there. However he performed properly.”
It’s not solely the six-foot-two ahead’s pace that helps, mentioned Beniers, however his physicality, too.
And Saturday was just the start, he added.
“As time goes on, you play increasingly more with a man, you begin to notice their tendencies, the place they go on the ice, what they love to do with the puck,” Beniers mentioned. “So, you continue to learn however fairly good begin.”
SKID SNAPPED
The consequence snapped Seattle’s four-game shedding skid and moved the Kraken to inside one level of the Western Convention’s second wild-card playoff spot.
The stretch of losses was powerful to take for a workforce that’s hoping to contend this post-season, mentioned winger Jared McCann.
“It’s laborious to get out of, I really feel like, particularly when you’ve instances the place you’re enjoying nice and also you’re nonetheless shedding,” he mentioned. “I feel that’s essentially the most irritating half. But it surely’s a protracted season, you’re going to have ups and downs. You simply received to attempt to keep stage headed.
“I feel once we have been shedding, the stress was constructing, and we had a very good speak earlier than the sport tonight, simply type of play a little bit extra free and create with the puck, and it was in a position to present tonight.”
O’CONNOR’S 100TH
Canucks winger Drew O’Connor recorded an help on Evander Kane’s first-period objective, marking the a centesimal level of his NHL profession.
The 27-year-old American ahead mentioned the milestone is a particular one.
“I imply, for those who instructed me 10 years in the past I’d have one level within the NHL, I’d be comfortable,” he mentioned. “So to get to 100 is significant.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed March 15, 2026.
© 2026 The Canadian Press
