Toronto Maple Leafs reportedly working on extension for veteran blue liner

In two seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Jake McCabe has played his role well, and with an increased workload in 2023/24, he was able to post the highest point total of his career. However, the team weren't confident going into the 2024/25 campaign with McCabe on their top two pairings, so they instead went out and acquired Chris Tanev, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Jani Hakanpaa, with all of these moves giving McCabe a specific role on the third pairing alongside Simon Benoit.

That doesn't mean he is in danger of losing his roster spot however, as a recent report from Elliotte Friedman has revealed that the team have begun discussions surrounding an extension with the 30-year old veteran after a career high campaign in 2023/24. That career high saw him play in 73 games with Toronto, posting 8 goals and 28 points in that time, with his +20 differential taking it to +32 in his 1.5 seasons with the team.

At 30-years of age, McCabe certainly isn't a long-term answer, but on the third pairing, if they can extend him on a short 3-4 year deal, it would certainly give them the depth they need on the back end, and wouldn't break the bank either. Brad Treliving certainly has much bigger fish to fry in the near future with Mitch Marner and John Tavares both heading for free agency, with this team still needing to improve as they chase the elusive Stanley Cup, but if they can lock McCabe in on a relatively cheap deal, it's a no-brainer for the Leafs.

Source: Hockey DB
Jake McCabe stats