Jake McCabe is the latest Maple Leaf defenceman to lay down some long-term roots in Toronto.
The defenceman, who was approaching free agency next year on a $2-million US deal, has signed a five-year deal the club announced Monday morning before the Leafs played the Winnipeg Jets.
The average annual value of the contract is $4.51 million.
The 31-year-old Wisconsin native joined the Leafs in February of 2023 in a trade with Chicago. He joins Morgan Rielly, Simon Benoit and recently acquired UFAs Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson with long-term deals, all but Benoit signed through 2027-28.
Chris Johnston of TSN reports McCabe took some deferred money to help the Leafs lower their cap situation.
McCabe would average just a bit more than Tanev, but under Rielly’s $7.5 million. Jani Hakanpaa also came aboard this summer on a one-year deal, but he has been in injured reserved with lingering knee issues and has yet to play.
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The question mark on the blueline remains Timothy Liljegren. His new two-year deal at $3 million began this year, but he has been bumped from coach Craig Berube’s lineup most of this year by Conor Timmins, who is on a one-year $1.1 million deal and will be a restricted free agent next season.
Trade speculation had grown around Liljegren as his salary would help accommodate Hakanpaa and others as they come off IR in the coming days.