What does a successful 2025-26 season look like for Jake McCabe?

The Toronto Maple Leafs had a handful of pleasant surprises last season, and defenceman Jake McCabe arguably topped the list. The veteran blueliner had himself a career season in 2024-25, and he’ll be looking to build off of his success heading into the 2025-26 campaign.

McCabe led the Maple Leafs in ice-time per game last season, not only in the regular season, but also during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He finished with 23 points in the regular season, which is just short of a career high, however, McCabe’s impact was felt all over the ice, and not necessarily just the scoresheet. At 31 years old, he’s managed to develop a complete game, becoming not only a defenceman who can shut down opponents and be intimidating physically, but also one who with offensive instincts and abilities to make a crisp first pass, and jump into the rush when the time calls for it.

McCabe played mostly with Chris Tanev last season, and the two quickly formed Craig Berube’s most reliable pair on the Maple Leafs’ back end. Toronto leaned on them heavily to shut down opponents’ top lines, and it gave the team a huge presence on the blue line with two players who essentially are willing to sacrifice any, and everything, to help the team win. McCabe and Tanev combined for a whopping 324 blocked shots during the regular season, which was among the league leaders for defensive pairs. They also ate up a ton of ice time shorthanded, leading the Leafs’ defenders in minutes played on the penalty kill. Expect much of the same heading into the new season.

General manager Brad Treliving rewarded McCabe only a month into last season, signing him to a five-year contract extension worth $4.5 million average annual value. It’s a huge commitment from the organization, and awards McCabe for his strong play since arriving in Toronto via the Chicago Blackhawks during the 2022-23 season. McCabe now owns a no-trade clause on his contract for the first two seasons, which then switches over to a 16-team no-trade clause for the final three seasons. From the Maple Leafs’ perspective, having McCabe locked in for five seasons at $4.5 million AAV is an absolute steal.

The Goal: Staple himself as the Maple Leafs’ number-one defenceman

While we shouldn’t expect to see McCabe quarterbacking the Leafs’ power play this season, his goal heading into 2025-26 should be to solidify himself as the team’s most complete defenceman. He has all the tools to accomplish the feat, and a bit of an elephant in the room is the fact he’s had some injury troubles throughout his career, which comes with the territory when you’re willing to sacrifice your body for the team.

McCabe appeared in 66 games last year, 73 the year before, and hasn’t played more than 77 games throughout his career. Yes, missing a few games during the regular season shouldn’t be considered a set back of any sort, but the big thing will be ensuring he’s as healthy as possible, and in peak form for the start of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Expectation: 100+ hits, 100+ blocked shots, lead Leafs in ice-time

Heading into the new season, the expectation for McCabe will be that he’s once again leading the team in ice-time, and continuing to establish impactful chemistry with Tanev as his partner. The two can take another step forward in their second season playing together, and with the Leafs focusing more on a defensive style this year, it all starts with them.

After a whopping 220 hits in his first full season in Toronto, McCabe landed 118 hits last season, and toned down the physicality slightly. He’s at his best when he’s finishing his checks along the wall, closing his gaps at the top of the defensive zone, and every so often he’ll lay a bone-crushing open-ice hit in the neutral zone. Expect to see much more of the same from McCabe this season, as 100+ hits should be the baseline for the veteran defenceman, along with at least 100 blocked shots. Having McCabe and Tanev, for that matter, willing to do whatever it takes to win sets the tone for the Maple Leafs, and essentially, could help kickstart their new identity in the post-Marner era.

The Maple Leafs have a chance to still be one of the very best teams in the NHL this season, and in order to do so, McCabe is going to have to be a leader from the back end. His no-nonsense approach each and every night does wonders for Toronto, and while the team may have a slew of leaders throughout the dressing room, McCabe’s play and attitude on the ice is a huge x-factor for how deep this team can go in 2025-26.