TORONTO — Chatter surrounding the uncertain futures of Mitch Marner and John Tavares has dominated contract speculation in Toronto, but the Maple Leafs do have another core player scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
Jake McCabe has little interest in pushing his contract extension off that long, though.
The top-four defenceman said Friday at training camp that his representives are already in discussion with GM Brad Treliving on a new deal.
“Yeah, we’ve talked a couple times,” McCabe said. “I love it here, and think they enjoy my game too.”
The 30-year-old 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.
McCabe enters his contract season hot off the best statistical campaign of his 11-year career, posting seasonal highs in goals (eight), points (28), plus/minus (+20), and hits (219).
The Wisconsin native changed agents on June 19, from Forward Hockey to Brian and Scott Bartlett, ahead of what should be his most lucrative deal to date.
The Bartlett group also negotiated teammate Bobby McMann’s two-year, $2.7-million extension with Treliving last season.
The possibility of McCabe — who should mesh well with new coach Craig Berube’s brand of hockey — recommitting to the Leafs strikes a positive chord with fans and teammates alike.
He plays with edge. He’ll play hurt. And he has proven he can excel on both his natural left side and the right.
“That would be great,” beams Simon Benoit. “I played with him pretty much all last year. He showed me some great things. You can see on the ice, how calm he is. He makes those little passes, a lot of little details. And he still plays that old-school game — physical, hard to play against, in your face. I think that’s what we need here, and he’s all about that. So, I would like to get him to stay, for sure.”
McCabe is open to his agents negotiating in-season but is happy to take a day-to-day approach and focus on sharpening his game in camp, where he’s getting a look alongside Oliver Ekman-Larsson and learning new PK coach’s Lane Lambert’s system.
“Continue to improve. That’s my been my goal every single year in this league. Body feels great,” McCabe said. “As you put the games together in this league, put yourself in more situations, you’re more comfortable every single year, especially as a defenceman.
“I want to just take another step as a leader on this team and just keep pushing us in the right direction.”
With the cap on the rise and proven top-four D-men a hot commodity on the open market, the right direction for both sides would be to find common ground on a deal.
No, he won’t be a $2-million cap bargain past this season, but McCabe could still provide value.
“I love it here,” McCabe underscored. “Like I said, we’ve been chatting. We’ll see where things go.”
