Maple Leafs Sign Jake McCabe To Multi-Year Extension

The Toronto Maple Leafs got a bit of work done this morning in extending Jake McCabe in the final year of his deal. The defenseman signed a five-year, $4.51 million AAV deal to stay in Toronto and keep the group assembled this past offseason together for at least a little bit longer.

Jake McCabe 5 x $4.51 with Toronto
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) October 28, 2024

According to Chris Johnston, the extension for McCabe includes some deferred money that lowered the cap hit. The insider believed he left some money on the table to stay in Toronto.

McCabe was acquired in the 2022-23 season from the rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks and they retained half of his contract. I would say that he has lived up to the expectations and been a solid piece of the back-end for the Maple Leafs during his time with the team.

McCabe is currently playing on the second pairing with Chris Tanev and the 31-year-old is averaging over 21 minutes per game of ice time. He carries big minutes on the penalty kill with 3:43 on average per game. The veteran isn't known for helping a ton offensively even though he had eight goals and 28 points last season, but he blocks shots and plays physically, exactly what is expected of him.

While some might say this is an overpayment, the cap is continues to climb and defending is just as important as offense. The Maple Leafs' top six defensemen are now signed through 2025-26 after this extension.