The puck has officially dropped on the 2026-26 NHL campaign for the Toronto Maple Leafs, who are featuring many new players thanks to a summer of change under the leadership of general manager John Chayka.
And while they got off to a good start thanks to a tally from forward Willian Nylander shortly into their contest against the divisional rival Montreal Canadiens, they’re already dealing with some potentially worrying health news.
The Toronto Maple Leafs Have Lost Defenseman Jake McCabe
During the first period of Tuesday’s game at Scotiabank Arena, Maple Leafs defenseman Jake McCabe appeared to be cut by the skate of Canadiens forward Jake Evans while absorbing a hit.
Evans’ skate appeared to clip McCabe in his left ankle area; McCabe left the game, wasn’t on the bench, and has yet to return to the game.
McCabe had literally only played 43 seconds of ice time at the time of his injury.
Jake McCabe Started His Career With The Sabres
McCabe was taken by Toronto’s divisional rival Buffalo Sabres in the second round (44th overall pick) in the 2012 NHL Draft. He made his NHL debut during the 2013-14 season after signing with Buffalo and picked up his first NHL point with an assist against the New York Islanders. He appeared in seven games that season.
After several more years with the Sabres, he departed and signed a four-year, $16 million deal with the Chicago Blackhawks.
He’d eventually be traded from Chicago to Toronto in February 2023 along with Sam Lafferty. He had one goal and five points in 21 regular-season games before appearing in all 11 playoff games that spring, recording two assists.
In his first full season with Toronto, McCabe set career highs with eight goals and 28 points in 73 games. He scored his first playoff goal against Boston in 2024 and played all seven games of the series. Later that year, he signed a five-year extension with the Maple Leafs.
Last season, he scored five goals with 20 assists in 80 games, though the Maple Leafs missed the playoffs for the first time in a decade.
So far in his NHL career, McCabe has skated in 723 games and has scored 40 goals with 160 assists. He’s also added a goal and six assists in 31 career playoff games.
Maple Leafs Lose $22.56 Million Defenseman In Season Opener