A depth forward might be on the Edmonton Oilers’ radar in the near future.

With the NHL Trade Deadline just over a month away, teams are already starting to look at improving their roster for a potential deep run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Oilers are certainly one of those teams, as they’re certainly hoping to add some more pieces that could finally get them over the hump this spring, and obtain hockey’s ultimate prize.

One of those players could be Toronto Maple Leafs forward Bobby McMann. With the team around him in disarray, there’s certainly some intrigue for a team to be calling about the Wainwright, Alta. native.

When appearing on Oilers Now on Monday with Oilers broadcaster Bob Stauffer, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman discussed how McMann could be a solid fit in Edmonton, and Stauffer certainly agreed.

“I love McMann,” Stauffer said. “Maybe I’m partial. He’s from Wainwright. Love him.”

Friedman notes, along with his local ties, the winger has traits the Oilers could utilize further down their lineup.

“Alberta guy,” Friedman said. “Fast. Competitive guy. He’d look good on your roster.”

What makes McMann a really appealing asset is the amount of money, or lack thereof, that he would cost a potential suitor. He’s in the final season of his two-year contract extension that he signed with Toronto in March 2024, which carries a measly $1.35 million cap hit. According to PuckPedia, the Oilers have just $425,000 in cap space, meaning they’d have to make some moves in order to have room for McMann.

In 52 games this season, the 29-year-old has scored 17 goals and 12 assists for 29 points, he’s well on his way to surpassing his career-best performance from last year, in which McMann notched 20 goals and 34 points with the Leafs.

Stauffer mentioned what he believes the return could be, if Edmonton were serious about acquiring McMann.

“My guess is it would be a second [-round draft pick] and a prospect minimum for him.”

While the team has a veteran in Curtis Lazar down the middle, McMann would provide that depth down the lineup that Edmonton needs if it wants to go on another deep playoff run. On a line with Matthew Savoie and Jack Roslovic, McMann could provide secondary scoring while being a reliable player in his own zone as well.

The Leafs have certainly been a disappointment this season. From the get-go, they have struggled to keep up with the top teams in the Eastern Conference, even when it seemed like everyone had a chance to sneak into a playoff spot. After losing five games in a row at home, many are starting to think that it might be time for Toronto to start looking at moving assets prior to the deadline.

In the episode, Stauffer and Friedman both agreed that if the Leafs stumble toward the Olympic break, the team might be forced to become sellers leading up to the deadline. Toronto has a tough four-game trip through the Pacific Division starting on Thursday, which includes games against the Seattle Kraken, Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames before capping things off against the Oilers on Feb. 3, the final game before the league-wide pause.

In 192 regular-season games in the NHL, all with the Leafs, McMann has scored 52 goals and 36 assists for 88 points. He registered three assists in the team’s run to the second round in last year’s postseason.