The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed defenceman Jake McCabe to a five-year contract extension, the team announced on Monday.
The new deal, which will kick in next season, has an average annual value (AAV) of $4.51 million. His current contract, which pays him $2 million, was set to expire in the summer.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that McCabe deferred money in the long-term extension, dropping the AAV from $4.7 million to $4.51 million.
McCabe, 31, arrived in Toronto at the 2023 trade deadline in a package deal with the rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks, who are retaining half of his $4-million cap hit and got his first and only taste of playoff action as a Maple Leaf.
He enjoyed a career season with the Maple Leafs in 2023-24, finishing with eight goals and 28 points across 73 games. He led all Maple Leafs’ defencemen with a plus-20 rating during the regular season and added one goal in seven playoff games.
The Wisconsin native spoke about contract negotiations prior to the regular season, expressing his desire to remain with the blue and white long-term.
“I love it here,” McCabe told Sportsnet’s Luke Fox last month. “Like I said, we’ve been chatting. We’ll see where things go.”
Playing in the top four with partner Oliver Ekman-Larsson, McCabe has three assists in nine games this season and currently leads the team with a plus-6 rating.
“[McCabe]’s very important,” Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews said in September.
“As far as leadership grows, he’s one of the more vocal guys in the room and on the bench, and it’s something we really appreciate. I’ve known Caber a really long time. Amazing person. Amazing teammate. And he’s a guy that’s always gonna have your back on the ice. It’s been awesome having here.”
McCabe was drafted by Buffalo in the second round (44th overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft.
