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Maple Leafs Extend Veteran Defenseman

The Toronto Maple Leafs secure a key piece of their blue line for years to come.

Jon Alfano

Feb 22, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jake McCabe (22) warms up before a game against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Feb 22, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jake McCabe (22) warms up before a game against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
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The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed veteran defenseman Jake McCabe to a five-year extension worth $23.5 million, the team announced Monday morning.

While that would normally equate to a $4.7 million average annual value, the Maple Leafs included some deferred money in the deal to drop the AAV to $4.51 million. For a team that's constanly up against the salary cap, that extra bit of flexibility will surely come in handy.

McCabe, 31, arrived in Toronto via a mid-season trade with the Chicago Blackhawks in February of 2023. In 132 games with the Maple Leafs, the Eau Claire, Wisconsin native has 42 points (six goals, 36 assists) and a +20 rating. He has three assists in nine games this season while averaging 21:09 of ice time.

He may not be a huge factor in the offensive zone, but McCabe is very solid defensively and occupies a spot on the top penalty kill unit. For the Maple Leafs, that's exactly the kind of player they wanted when they acquired him.

McCabe, a second-round pick by the Buffalo Sabres in 2012, is in the final year of a four-year, $16 million contract he signed with Chicago back in 2021. However, the Blackhawks retained 50 percent of his salary in the trade, so the Maple Leafs are only paying him $2 million per season, a steal for what he provides. Even at his new cap hit, that's still pretty good value.

The Maple Leafs have two more key players in the final season of their contract in star forwards Mitch Marner and John Tavares. Re-signing both of them could prove challenging, but both of them have publicly expressed a desire to stay in Toronto.

Toronto, off to a 4-4-1 start to the season, travels to face the undefeated Winnipeg Jets on Monday night.

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Jon Alfano
JON ALFANO

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