David Pagnotta reports Edmonton Oilers pursued Bobby McMann before Seattle Kraken deal
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Daniel Lucente
Mar 10, 2026 (5:16 PM)
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Photo credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
David Pagnotta says Bobby McMann, a 29-year-old pending UFA at $1.35 million, drew Oilers interest, and that sting is easy to understand.
McMann went to Seattle on Friday for a 2026 fourth-rounder and a conditional 2027 second.
He is undrafted, but the profile screams playoff winger.
Before the deal, he had 19-13-32 in 60 games, with the kind of straight-line pace Edmonton still needs on its third line.
That cap hit mattered too.
A cheap winger who can forecheck, crash the net and slide up the lineup beside skill is exactly the kind of bet contenders hunt in March.
"The Oilers, Avalanche and Blue Jackets were among the teams in the mix for Bobby McMann before he was dealt to the Kraken."
- David Pagnotta
- David Pagnotta
Instead, Edmonton pushed its chips into Jason Dickinson and Colton Dach, which tells you the front office wanted more size, more kill minutes and more lineup control.
That is fair logic, but McMann looked like the cleaner fit for Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl in short bursts.
Bobby McMann fit the Edmonton Oilers problem
A lot of Oilers fans will read this and think the same thing, one more finisher would have felt safer than one more project.
McMann is not a star, but he plays fast, gets inside and can finish broken plays.
That matters for a team that scores plenty, yet still goes quiet when the game turns heavy below the dots.
Edmonton is 31-25-8 heading into Tuesday in Colorado, so this is not just old rumor chatter.
It is a reminder that the next few weeks will judge whether Dickinson, Dach and the rest of the supporting cast can hold tougher minutes.
If they do, nobody will care about a missed call on McMann.
If they do not, this will sit there as the affordable winger who got away right before the games got meaner.
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MARS 10|161 ANSWERS David Pagnotta reports Edmonton Oilers pursued Bobby McMann before Seattle Kraken deal Should Stan Bowman have pushed harder for Bobby McMann for the Edmonton Oilers? | ||
| Yes | 125 | 77.6 % |
| No | 36 | 22.4 % |
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