Jake McCabe

Lore & Background

McCabe played college hockey at the University of Wisconsin–Madison for the Wisconsin Badgers, where in his junior year he was selected to the NCAA's 2013–14 All-Big Ten First Team. He was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in 2012 and signed his entry-level contract in April 2014, making his NHL debut the following day. Over seven seasons with Buffalo, he served as an alternate captain and recorded his first NHL goal against Roberto Luongo in 2015. He left the Sabres as an unrestricted free agent in July 2021, signing a four-year, $16 million deal with the Chicago Blackhawks. During the 2022–23 season, on February 27, 2023, McCabe was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs along with Sam Lafferty and two future conditional picks. He made his Toronto debut on March 1, 2023, and scored his first goal with the team on March 18, 2023. In his first full season with the Maple Leafs (2023–24), he set career highs with eight goals and 28 points. On October 28, 2024, he signed a five-year contract extension with Toronto.

Reader's Guide

Jake McCabe's significance lies in his steady, physical defensive play and his ability to contribute offensively from the blue line. After being drafted by Buffalo and developing through their system, he became a reliable NHL defenseman, eventually serving as an alternate captain for the Sabres. His move to Chicago as a free agent in 2021 was followed by a trade to Toronto in 2023, where he became a key part of the Maple Leafs' defense corps. McCabe's career-high eight goals in 2023–24 demonstrated his offensive growth, and his playoff experience—including scoring his first playoff goal in 2024—added to his value. His five-year contract extension with Toronto in October 2024 underscores the team's commitment to him as a long-term piece. McCabe also represented the United States at multiple international tournaments, captaining the gold-medal-winning junior team at the 2013 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and being named to the tournament's All-Star team.

Did You Know?

• McCabe was named captain of the United States junior team at the 2013 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, which won gold.
• He suffered a severed tendon in his finger during his first year at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, limiting him to 26 games.
• McCabe underwent surgery on his spine to fix a herniated disk during the 2022 off-season.
• His cousin is former NFL player Eric Decker.

Collegiate Foundations at Wisconsin

Before ever stepping onto an NHL ice surface, Jake McCabe built his defensive game in the heartland of American college hockey. After playing high school ball at Eau Claire Memorial, he committed to the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he suited up for the Badgers across three seasons in the NCAA's Division I Big Ten Conference. His freshman campaign was derailed early when a severed tendon in his finger limited him to just 26 games, a cruel introduction to the physical toll of competitive hockey. Yet McCabe bounced back with determination, and by his junior year his consistent, two-way play earned him a spot on the NCAA's 2013–14 All-Big Ten First Team. That recognition served as a springboard, signaling to NHL scouts that the young Wisconsin defenseman possessed the poise and hockey sense to compete at the professional level. His three-year stretch in Madison gave him the structured development and competitive exposure that would later translate into a steady NHL career, beginning with his selection forty-fourth overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2012 entry draft.

The Buffalo Sabres Years

McCabe's professional journey began in earnest when the Buffalo Sabres selected him forty-fourth overall in the 2012 entry draft. After signing a three-year entry-level deal in April 2014, he made his NHL debut the very next day in a narrow 2–1 defeat to the St. Louis Blues. His first taste of NHL scoring came on April 13, 2014, when he set up Matt Ellis in a shootout loss to the New York Islanders. Over the following seasons, McCabe steadily carved out a role on Buffalo's blue line. His 2015–16 campaign marked a breakthrough: recalled in October, he scored his first career NHL goal against Roberto Luongo and finished with four goals and ten points across 77 games. The 2016–17 season saw him post three goals and twenty points, including a memorable multi-point night against Nashville. He also drew attention for a hard hit on Patrik Laine in January 2017 that left the young forward with a concussion. By the 2019–20 season, McCabe had earned the trust of new head coach Ralph Krueger, who named him an alternate captain—a testament to his growth from a second-round pick into a reliable, two-way defenseman.

New Chapters in Chicago and Toronto

Following a season-ending knee injury in February 2021, McCabe entered free agency and signed a four-year, sixteen-million-dollar contract with the Chicago Blackhawks. He became one of the team's primary penalty killers, contributing four goals and twenty-two points over 75 games that season. A standout moment came on December 11, 2021, when he recorded his first multi-point game with Chicago, both assisting on Dominik Kubalík and scoring himself in a loss to Toronto. After spine surgery for a herniated disk during the 2022 off-season, he returned in October and added two goals and twenty points in 55 games. The rebuilding Blackhawks then traded McCabe to the Toronto Maple Leafs on February 27, 2023, alongside forward Sam Lafferty and two conditional future picks, in return for a conditional first-round pick in 2025, a second-round pick in 2026, and forwards Joey Anderson and Pavel Gogolev. McCabe debuted for Toronto on March 1 and scored his first goal with the franchise in a shootout win over Ottawa on March 18. He finished with one goal and five points in 21 regular-season games and made his Stanley Cup playoff debut in the first round against Tampa Bay, recording his first career playoff point.

A Career Marked by Adversity and Comeback

Few NHL careers are as punctuated by physical setbacks as Jake McCabe's. His journey began with a severed finger tendon during his freshman year at Wisconsin, which trimmed his season to just 26 games. In the pros, the injuries kept coming: a concussion against the Utica Comets in March 2015 sidelined him for four weeks with Rochester. The 2017–18 season proved especially brutal—after suffering a thumb injury in a collision with Ryan Getzlaf in February 2018 that required surgery, McCabe elected to also undergo shoulder surgery during his recovery, costing him the remainder of the year. The following campaign brought repeated upper-body setbacks, including a nine-game absence in late 2018 and another injury in March 2019 that ultimately shut him down for the season. In February 2021, a knee injury in a victory over New Jersey ended what little of that season remained. Then came spine surgery for a herniated disk during the 2022 off-season. Yet through every setback, McCabe found his way back to the ice, eventually earning a roster spot with the Toronto Maple Leafs and making his Stanley Cup playoff debut—a quiet but remarkable testament to his perseverance.