Tribute Jake McCabe

[Gary Nylund]

We only have 1 good pairing , Gio-Lil (I don't even know what's going on here, Keefe doesn't seem to like Lil).

The other pairings aren't anything to write home about as far as defending upper tier of the league. McCabe is useless as far as defending the top 6es we are about to face. Too slow too.

By 2023 Jake McCabe should be depth solidification, not a 2 week bandaid identify fix. Jake McCabe is the symbol representing we failed replacing Muzzin. A player we were given a year heads up in advance we probably can't count on anymore.

LOL.

 

[LeafSteel]

Definitely being won over by McCabe, when my preference would have been for Murphy.

Plays hard and fearless, solid defensively, and stands up for his teammates. This is the kind of player we've been missing in the playoffs, and will be a great addition.

Add to it his term and that it comes at $2m, and this was a great swipe from Chicago. If only we could have worked out a McCabe/Murphy/Lafferty package. We could have seriously loaded up our defensive play even more.

 

[Stephen]

We only have 1 good pairing , Gio-Lil (I don't even know what's going on here, Keefe doesn't seem to like Lil).

The other pairings aren't anything to write home about as far as defending upper tier of the league. McCabe is useless as far as defending the top 6es we are about to face. Too slow too.

By 2023 Jake McCabe should be depth solidification, not a 2 week bandaid identify fix. Jake McCabe is the symbol representing we failed replacing Muzzin. A player we were given a year heads up in advance we probably can't count on anymore.

He seems to be filling the Jake Muzzin gap quite well. At $2 million a season, you're getting a lot of value there.

 

[TMLBlueandWhite]

McCabe might be a slight upgrade over Justin Holl, but nobody in their right mind is going to annoint him as saviour of the team.

I hate to say it, but McCabe's pedigree prior to joining the Leafs isn't anything remarkable. And, unsurprisingly, he hasn't done anything remarkable here in Toronto either. Just because he was a good player on a bad team doesn't mean he will be a good player on a good team.

Quite the opposite is more likely in fact.

But hey McCabe is on the team. And Keefe is forced to play him. In a prominent position no less.

Doing otherwise could be detrimental to Keefe's career.

 

[Cor]

He’s awesome.

 

[IPS]

We only have 1 good pairing , Gio-Lil (I don't even know what's going on here, Keefe doesn't seem to like Lil).

The other pairings aren't anything to write home about as far as defending upper tier of the league. McCabe is useless as far as defending the top 6es we are about to face. Too slow too.

By 2023 Jake McCabe should be depth solidification, not a 2 week bandaid identify fix. Jake McCabe is the symbol representing we failed replacing Muzzin. A player we were given a year heads up in advance we probably can't count on anymore.

I don't mind McCabe - but you are right, he is definitely no Muzzin. He will not be replicating what Muzzin did vs Tampa last year, that's for sure.

 

[Menzinger]

He's comfortably a top four D man whose able to eat up minutes and provide physicality among the backend.

A D man just has to be good at keeping the puck out of the net - he doesn't need to be making highlightreel worthy plays every other shift to make a positive impact on the teams chances of winning.

The fact that the Hawks are paying half his salary for the next two seasons after this is just the icing on the caken

 

[Gary Nylund]

McCabe might be a slight upgrade over Justin Holl, but nobody in their right mind is going to annoint him as saviour of the team.

I hate to say it, but McCabe's pedigree prior to joining the Leafs isn't anything remarkable. And, unsurprisingly, he hasn't done anything remarkable here in Toronto either. Just because he was a good player on a bad team doesn't mean he will be a good player on a good team.

Quite the opposite is more likely in fact.

But hey McCabe is on the team. And Keefe is forced to play him. In a prominent position no less.

Doing otherwise could be detrimental to Keefe's career.

And nobody's saying he is. Why don't you stop with the straw man arguments, sheesh.

He's a quality Dman, brings physicality like Muzzin did, he makes our D better as a group and we're paying him peanuts for three playoff runs. The end.

 

[TMLBlueandWhite]

And nobody's saying he is. Why don't you stop with the straw man arguments, sheesh.

He's a quality Dman, brings physicality like Muzzin did, he makes our D better as a group and we're paying him peanuts for three playoff runs. The end.

My point is that he isn't good enough.

What is Jake McCabe really going to do to help this team with the cup?

This is a good offseason trade, but not what you want to see at the deadline for a team supposed to be "all-in".

Let's face it, at best he is Justin Hill's replacement.

That's not good enough.

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

Not sure what people who dislike McCabe are watching. In both the eye test and in the numbers he's been excellent since he's come here. He's not the biggest but he is physical, smart with the puck, and just steady all around. His worst moments have been obvious cases of bad puck luck and bounces such as the PP goal Colorado scored earlier this week, or his shot block that went right to Tkachuk last night.

As far as the numbers go, for defensemen on the Leafs since he got here, McCabe is 2nd for GA/60, 3rd in GF%, and 1st in high danger chances against.

 

[SHANNYPLAN]

I like him. I don't like that he was our big defensive add. He's a no.5 at the end of the day on a team that needed a top 4. Our opponents are scary, don't get comfy with guys like McCabe.

Solid #4 IMO

 

[Gary Nylund]

My point is that he isn't good enough.

What is Jake McCabe really going to do to help this team with the cup?

This is a good offseason trade, but not what you want to see at the deadline for a team supposed to be "all-in".

Let's face it, at best he is Justin Hill's replacement.

That's not good enough.

He's going to do his job, what else?

 

[Optimist]

He's in my good books.

 

[wingman75]

I think he has been up and down, but it is clear the potential is there. The last couple games he seems to be settling in and understanding where his support is, and trusting that, and just finding a groove in being able to read off his team mates.

He is going to be solid for us for a few years here. Bumps down some of our other dept, and hopefully makes some of it redundant next season.

 

[LeafSteel]

My point is that he isn't good enough.

What is Jake McCabe really going to do to help this team with the cup?

This is a good offseason trade, but not what you want to see at the deadline for a team supposed to be "all-in".

Let's face it, at best he is Justin Hill's replacement.

That's not good enough.

Your powers of prediction are unproven, yet you seem to be making a lot of apparently biased assumptions about how McCabe will perform in scenarios that no one has ever seen him in before.

McCabe was on a lousy team, yet the majority of hockey analysts named McCabe as the best, underrated Defender available on the Market. I was bearish on him as well, but I will absolutely take their assessments over yours and mine, and already I am seeing they were right.

You are also failing to factor in the blender of Defence partners that Keefe has been having McCabe play with since his arrival. He is on a new team, with a new coach, new system, and had a revolving door of partners not just game by game, but also shift by shift, and he's acquitting himself quite well thus far.

Finally, you are making assumptions on what he can do, with no one ever having seen him play in the playoffs, and seeing if he has a "next gear", as many players have shown to have. People point out to Muzzin and Rielly ratcheting it up in the playoffs, but it doesn't seem to factor into your thinking at all, which makes it seem like you don't think it's possible. Again, I will watch what McCabe does or doesn't do in the playoffs before I make an assessment.

I think McCabe will be an excellent 2LHD for us, at great value, and already far more valuable than Holl. I am also interested to see if he does find another gear in the playoffs. Seeing how hard he works, along with his play style, and the apetite he must have for play-off hockey, I think he will bring another level and it will show how biased and weak-sauce your assessments are.

So for your assessment of McCabe, I think it's fitting to finish it with your assessment of McCabe: not good enough.

Go Leafs Go!

 

[leafsfan2point0]

Why is the TMLBlueandWhite burner account still allowed to post here. Obviously a troll.

 

[fancy lad]

Solid acquisition is putting it mildly, getting this guy at 2M for the next 3 years is massive value. A+ trade IMO.

Wow. I didnt realize his Cap hit Was that low.

 

[SoftDumpNtheCorner88]

I understand differences of opinion and all but I'm starting to think this leafs board is getting ambushed by trolls.

McCabes been a solid Defensive add, he came as advertised. He's not here to light the lamp and he's adjusting well.

 

[Larcos_Unal]

Anyone saying "Dubas should have gotten someone better"...who exactly and at what cost?
We needed retention to get the cap hit down to a manageable $2m, McCabe has more than earned that cost with his play.

It's easy to say we could have gotten someone better without thinking of cap implications and which assets would have gone out the door.

 

[LeafSteel]

I understand differences of opinion and all but I'm starting to think this leafs board is getting ambushed by trolls.

McCabes been a solid Defensive add, he came as advertised. He's not here to light the lamp and he's adjusting well.

Yes, the fact that the Trolls have come in after the Trade Deadline is their unconscious way of showing that Dubas has actually done well to bolster our Team, and that they are now legitimately worried about the Leafs succeeding in the playoffs.

It's amusing to watch, particularly because they aren't very good at it. Personally, I don't see how they can stand knowing they are being laughed at by everyone, but then again my life isn't so pathetic that I feel the need to create a burner account and pretend to like a team that I hate, simply to try to troll a fan base. It's pitiful, really.

Having said that, I have no problems laughing and pointing when the opportunity presents itself. This bunch is particularly weak compared to others we've dealt with and gotten rid of in the past.

 

[OVO16]

I love him

 

[IPS]

Anyone saying "Dubas should have gotten someone better"...who exactly and at what cost?
We needed retention to get the cap hit down to a manageable $2m, McCabe has more than earned that cost with his play.

It's easy to say we could have gotten someone better without thinking of cap implications and which assets would have gone out the door.

Ekholm would have been my pick.

 

[Stephen]

McCabe might be a slight upgrade over Justin Holl, but nobody in their right mind is going to annoint him as saviour of the team.

No one in their right mind would suggest anyone has anointed Jake McCabe of being the savior of the team.

 

[Puckstuff]

I’m just still trying to get a read on him, but he seems like a #4 D with a market value around 4 million giving us a surplus of 2 million. I would be interested to know if anyone views him more as a #2 or # 3.

 

[MilkofthePoppy]

Ekholm would have been my pick.

He could be the piece that moves the needle for Edmonton. Considering the value of Sandin and Engvall and all the picks we gave away you are telling me Dubas couldn't have acquired a significantly better piece?

On the other hand, Ekholm is already 32.