Toronto Maple Leafs forward Bobby McMann will return to the lineup Saturday against the Detroit Red Wings, Sportsnet&#8217;s Luke Fox <a href="https://x.com/lukefoxjukebox/status/1867970958881075504">confirmed</a>.
McMann, 28, has been out of the lineup with a lower-body injury since leaving the game on November 27 against the Panthers. He&#8217;s been one of the team&#8217;s more dependable secondary scoring options when healthy, with six goals and seven points in 21 games, and has been a steady power-forward presence in the team&#8217;s middle six.
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Bobby McMann is the first Leafs skater to take the ice ahead of morning skate. McMann hasn’t played since suffering a lower-body injury against the Florida Panthers on Nov. 27. <a href="https://t.co/KiK9vTFiyE">pic.twitter.com/KiK9vTFiyE</a>
&mdash; Arun Srinivasan (@Arunthings) <a href="https://twitter.com/Arunthings/status/1867227297121464327?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Based on the lines at practice on Friday, it seems like McMann will slot in on the third line with Fraser Minten and Max Domi. McMann and Domi have familiarity with each other, initially skating alongside Domi and William Nylander before the Maple Leafs decided to load up the top six with Max Pacioretty and John Tavares alongside William Nylander.
&#8220;I’ve definitely been skating a good amount, I didn’t miss a lot of time off the ice,” McMann said Friday via <a href="https://torontosun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/maple-leafs-coach-on-bobby-mcmann-i-love-the-size-the-power-forward?taid=675d077440f8be0001963a41&amp;utm_campaign=trueanthem&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter">Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun</a>. &#8220;The game speed is always something that takes a bit of an adjustment. But not being out that long, I don’t think it’ll be too hard, and I trust I’ll rely on what works well for me.
Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said at <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/scenes-from-leafs-morning-skate-mccabe-is-back-mcmann-very-close-to-return-grebenkin-recalled">morning skate ahead of Thursday&#8217;s game</a> against the Anaheim Ducks that McMann was &#8216;very close&#8217; to being ready, and he&#8217;s set to make his return to the lineup Saturday night in Detroit.
&#8220;His speed and his size, another power forward in our lineup,” Berube said about McMann on Friday. “You look at our left side with (Matthew) Knies, Pacioretty, McMann, I love the size and the power-forward type player, up and down the wings, banging bodies, going to the net.&#8221;
McMann&#8217;s elite speed, secondary scoring and ability to play across multiple lines are welcomed qualities for a Maple Leafs team that has struggled to score at 5-on-5, and it&#8217;ll be compelling to see how he fares in his return.
Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz has been ruled out of both weekend games, including Sunday&#8217;s contest against the Buffalo Sabres. Stolarz is considered day-to-day, while the team called up Dennis Hildeby on an emergency basis from the AHL&#8217;s Toronto Marlies on Friday.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Bobby McMann will return to the lineup Saturday against the Detroit Red Wings, Sportsnet's Luke Fox <a href="https://x.com/lukefoxjukebox/status/1867970958881075504">confirmed</a>.

McMann, 28, has been out of the lineup with a lower-body injury since leaving the game on November 27 against the Panthers. He's been one of the team's more dependable secondary scoring options when healthy, with six goals and seven points in 21 games, and has been a steady power-forward presence in the team's middle six.

https://twitter.com/Arunthings/status/1867227297121464327

Based on the lines at practice on Friday, it seems like McMann will slot in on the third line with Fraser Minten and Max Domi. McMann and Domi have familiarity with each other, initially skating alongside Domi and William Nylander before the Maple Leafs decided to load up the top six with Max Pacioretty and John Tavares alongside William Nylander.

"I’ve definitely been skating a good amount, I didn’t miss a lot of time off the ice,” McMann said Friday via <a href="https://torontosun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/maple-leafs-coach-on-bobby-mcmann-i-love-the-size-the-power-forward?taid=675d077440f8be0001963a41&amp;utm_campaign=trueanthem&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter">Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun</a>. "The game speed is always something that takes a bit of an adjustment. But not being out that long, I don’t think it’ll be too hard, and I trust I’ll rely on what works well for me.

Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said at <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/scenes-from-leafs-morning-skate-mccabe-is-back-mcmann-very-close-to-return-grebenkin-recalled">morning skate ahead of Thursday's game</a> against the Anaheim Ducks that McMann was 'very close' to being ready, and he's set to make his return to the lineup Saturday night in Detroit.

"His speed and his size, another power forward in our lineup,” Berube said about McMann on Friday. “You look at our left side with (Matthew) Knies, Pacioretty, McMann, I love the size and the power-forward type player, up and down the wings, banging bodies, going to the net."

McMann's elite speed, secondary scoring and ability to play across multiple lines are welcomed qualities for a Maple Leafs team that has struggled to score at 5-on-5, and it'll be compelling to see how he fares in his return.

Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz has been ruled out of both weekend games, including Sunday's contest against the Buffalo Sabres. Stolarz is considered day-to-day, while the team called up Dennis Hildeby on an emergency basis from the AHL's Toronto Marlies on Friday.

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