Maple Leafs looking to extend contract of Jake McCabe

The Maple Leafs acquired defenceman Jake McCabe and half of his remaining salary from the Chicago Blackhawks in February 2023. It would appear a continuation of that partnership beyond this season would be agreeable to both the team and the 30-year-old defenceman.

Jake McCabe, who signed a four-year, $16 million contract with Chicago in July 2021 will see that contract expire at the end of this season. Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported an extension on his current deal has already been discussed between Toronto's management and McCabe's representatives.

The trade sending Jake McCabe to Toronto saw the Leafs take in forward Sam Lafferty and two conditional picks while the Chicago Blackhawks got a conditional first in 2025, a second in 2026, and prospects Joey Anderson and Pavel Gogolev.

Since coming to the Maple Leafs, Jake McCabe has been one of the mainstays on the blue line. He's been cementing his place in Toronto's top four of the D-core and is notorious for the physicality of his game. In 94 games with the Leafs, he has nine goals, 24 assists, and an average of over 20 minutes on the ice per game. Last season, he was second on the team with 219 hits, one spot behind Simon Benoit. He also placed third among Toronto defensemen for average ice time per game, behind only Morgan Rielly and TJ Brodie.

In postseason play to date, Jake McCabe has played 18 games with Toronto, recording one goal and two assists. During the wild seven-game series against the Boston Bruins this postseason, he was a workhorse, averaging over 21 minutes of ice time per game, which was second among the club's defensemen.

If no new deal is reached, Jake McCabe will hit free agency on July 1, 2025. However, given his importance to the team, both sides seem motivated to get an extension done prior to then.

Source:
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Source: NHL.com
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