LeBrun: Jake McCabe drawing steady interest from contenders, price is a 1st round pick

[Unbiased Fan]

It's awful. Firstly, Sandin is already == McCabe if not better. He's younger, he's physical although maybe doesn't block as many shots. McCabe is not a better pker than Holl, and Gio is also physical.

So the Leafs are paying a first to get an older player who is more expensive and not any better and a depth forward.. Not to mention losing Sandin.

Only thing that makes sense to me is if that piece moved is Holl. They can't afford to retain him, so Holl -> McCabe is a move where they get another pking Dman who is a bit more physical and has the same caphit for more term. I could see that making sense.

Anyone thinking Sandin is moving for McCabe is out to lunch. He's a 23 year old who is a 2nd pairing dman on a top 10 D in the league.

Is McCabe not one of the top 10 most physical dman in the nhl up there with Schenn, Risto, Gudas, etc?

 

[Mrfenn92]

If not Greene, then what? Avs would need something more to make it worth Girard + 1st. Maybe they send Malgin and get Raddysh + a pick back? Just spitballing

Yeah I just don’t see the hawks adding anything
Could be wrong

 

[HockeyVirus]

Is McCabe not one of the top 10 most physical dman in the nhl up there with Schenn, Risto, Gudas, etc?

Like I said, he blocks more shots. Sandin is pretty physical though he just lacks size.

But I would also laugh at Sandin going for any of those names as well.. You are asking for a 23 year old top 4 dman signed for 1.5 next year in exchange for a 29 year old who has only been a top 4 dman this season on a tanking Hawks team. That alone is laughable. Never mind adding in a first

 

[Freaky Styley]

Yeah I just don’t see the hawks adding anything
Could be wrong

I'd bet you would be. Retention or not Avs are shipping Girard + 1st for just McCabe and a UFA Toews

 

[The Devilish Buffoon]

I don't think McCabe gets a 1st and Sandin, unless you think Domi gets Sandin, in which case that's even worse

McCabe at 50% retention will get something like a 22nd-32nd pick + a 65th-95th pick. Domi at 50% probably gets a pick between 50-75.

I'd value Sandin around a 2nd + 3rd... maybe a bit higher than the excess value from McCabe @ 50% + the value of Domi @ 50%... but not significantly.

I doubt they use 2 retention spots on one deal, could be wrong.

I mostly agree, and this deal would only make sense if the Hawks already know they will only be trading one of Toews/Kane (and not AA).

 

[The Devilish Buffoon]

Like I said, he blocks more shots. Sandin is pretty physical though he just lacks size.

But I would also laugh at Sandin going for any of those names as well.. You are asking for a 23 year old top 4 dman signed for 1.5 next year in exchange for a 29 year old who has only been a top 4 dman this season on a tanking Hawks team. That alone is laughable. Never mind adding in a first

Sandin is not a top 4 DMan & McCabe is playing almost exactly his career average. He might not be a legit top 4, but he is as good of a #5 as you will get and a good vet. Having him at 2mil per year for the next 2.25yrs would be a huge addition to any contender.

Does anyone here doubt that Tampa would give up their 2025 1st, Cal Foote/Fleury, + for McCabe @ 50%? I sure don't. Seems like a very easy deal to make.

 

[HockeyVirus]

Sandin is not a top 4 DMan & McCabe is playing almost exactly his career average. He might not be a legit top 4, but he is as good of a #5 as you will get and a good vet. Having him at 2mil per year for the next 2.25yrs would be a huge addition to any contender.

Does anyone here doubt that Tampa would give up their 2025 1st, Cal Foote/Fleury, + for McCabe @ 50%? I sure don't. Seems like a very easy deal to make.

I am sure the Devils fan who watches no leaf games is an expert on who is what. The fact you put Sandin in the same tier as Foote/Fleury says more than anything I can say back.

 

[Djp]

I doubt they use 2 retention spots on one deal, could be wrong.

The problem is they need 2 for kane and Toews unless one said no to any trade.

as for McCabe…buyer beware…..players don’t suddenly get better in their late 20s. It’s all tied to system used and partner and responsibility.

on buffalo he was generally used as a mid pair D. He had stretches where he played well but it didn’t last a full season.

he could also be more motivated playing for the team he grew up a fan of living in the Midwest. If he’s traded he might not have that level of pride. With my team, buffalo, you could say similarly about Tuch playing fir the Sabres vs another team.

 

[hawksrule]

McCabe is the perfect addition for any contender needing to solidify the defensive side of things. Smart, steady, doesn’t make mistakes. Not fast (average), but makes up for it by always being in the right place. Difference in goals given up with him on/off ice is striking.

 

[General Disarray]

I wouldn't do 1st for him. Just because Habs suckered someone into giving a 1st for Chariot, other GMs want one for their bottom pairing D too. If we're giving up a 1st, I'd rather we aim higher.

 

[Sinbad]

McCabe @ 50% & Domi @ 50% for 1st & Sandin could be interesting, as an impartial fan

Not sure the Hawks would want Sandin, their prospect pool is full of solid D prospects. Additionally, as an organization they seem to be moving away from smaller guys on the backend.

I could see McCabe and Domi both with 50% retention for a prospect like Moldenhauer, a 2023 1st and a conditional 2023 3rd that becomes a 2024 2nd if the Leafs advanced to the conference final.

 

[Chainshot]

Oh, just wait. He always had those 30-40 game stretches in Buffalo too. The fall is coming.

McCabe was always just so regular in Buffalo -- ~40 games of quality play, ~25 games of "meh, fine" play and then 15 games of abject black hole of suck in all phases.

There is also the 20 games where he's hurt.

 

[bearcountry17]

It's awful. Firstly, Sandin is already == McCabe if not better. He's younger, he's physical although maybe doesn't block as many shots. McCabe is not a better pker than Holl, and Gio is also physical.

So the Leafs are paying a first to get an older player who is more expensive and not any better and a depth forward.. Not to mention losing Sandin.

Only thing that makes sense to me is if that piece moved is Holl. They can't afford to retain him, so Holl -> McCabe is a move where they get another pking Dman who is a bit more physical and has the same caphit for more term. I could see that making sense.

Anyone thinking Sandin is moving for McCabe is out to lunch. He's a 23 year old who is a 2nd pairing dman on a top 10 D in the league.

He's 6th in ATOI for Dmen on the leafs.

 

[NjdevilfanJim]

I don't think McCabe gets a 1st and Sandin, unless you think Domi gets Sandin, in which case that's even worse

Agree but Leafs should hold onto Sandin unless something I don't know but from what I saw he's a player...

 

[Kairi Zaide]

A first round pick…in the NHL draft? For Jake McCabe?

…

Is there a different Jake McCabe?

…

Is there a different NHL draft?

A rental Ben Chiarot got an unprotected 1st. McCabe, especially with retention, is much more valuable than Chiarot. Thinking he might net a 1st is not ludicrous.

 

[The Devilish Buffoon]

I am sure the Devils fan who watches no leaf games is an expert on who is what. The fact you put Sandin in the same tier as Foote/Fleury says more than anything I can say back.

Lol. I am not a Devils fan and absolutely did not put Foote/Fleury in the same tier as Sandin, dummy.

I proposed Sandin & 1st for McCabe @ 50% + Domi @ 50%, and nowhere did I say that an offer of 1st + Foote/Fleury would beat an offer of 1st + Sandin. I implied that we can assume that as a baseline price to beat, if Toronto (or another team) wants to acquire him.

So yeah, I fully believe that you don't have anything better to say back than that. And I urge you not to reply, because I have no interest in hand-holding your dumbass further.

 

[Sinbad]

Perhaps there's a deal to be struck around Girard + 1st for Chicago assets

McCabe (50%) + Toews (50%) + Ryan Greene or something along those lines. Avs get their 2C that is great on the dot in an otherwise thin market, get Girard replacement for the rest of this season and the next 2 for 2M, and a promising forward prospect to make up for the age gap. Chicago gets a younger D with more potential signed through the next 5 years and a 1st round pick in a deep draft to supplement the loss of Greene. Seems like a win-win

Can’t see the Hawks trading promising young prospects, that is exactly what they are trying to stockpile at this point.

If not Greene, then what? Avs would need something more to make it worth Girard + 1st. Maybe they send Malgin and get Raddysh + a pick back? Just spitballing

I don’t think the Hawks will have an interest in Girard.

 

[HockeyVirus]

He's 6th in ATOI for Dmen on the leafs.

Leafs have a deep blue line. He is absolutely a 2nd pair D. Hell him and Liljegren were our top pairing for like a month during all the injuries

 

[Mrfenn92]

I'd bet you would be. Retention or not Avs are shipping Girard + 1st for just McCabe and a UFA Toews

Ok hawks aren’t adding prospects or high picks. Not a match it seems.

 

[TF1970]

Like the player, but not for a 1st round pick.

 

[The Devilish Buffoon]

Like the player, but not for a 1st round pick.

Not even at 50%? I agree with you at full salary but McCabe at $2m is a super valuable piece, especially for a contender with a late 1st that likely won't contribute for 2, 3, 4 years or not at all.

 

[PullHard]

Given how he's bounced around the league, and was a UFA this summer, I have a feeling that if Dubas wanted Max Domi on his team he'd have made it happen already. Maybe some residual bias on my part as I'm not a big fan of him, or his Dad, but I don't think he's a target for Toronto.

Who is his dad?

 

[Nakawick]

A team giving up a first for McCabe is going to regret that.

 

[Nikolajs Sillers]

Jake McCabe .First rounder? Good luck with that

 

[Killing Joke]

Entirely way too much for an injury prone guy like McCabe. He’s solid, but Chicago is off their f***ing rocker and wants people to help them speed run a rebuild they should’ve started years ago.