The Toronto Maple Leafs are back in action on Thursday night, hoping to build off their 2-1 overtime victory over former head coach Sheldon Keefe and the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday night.

They host the struggling Anaheim Ducks at Scotiabank Arena, and every indication has been given that a key piece of their blue line will be returning. According to multiple reports, defenseman Jake McCabe is set to make his return to the lineup; he's missed the last five games after taking an inadvertent shot to the face.

McCabe stated that he was feeling better and took extra precautions for his return to the lineup, especially since it was a head injury that had kept him out.

“Feeling a lot better now than I was last week, I guess. Didn't quite feel right, didn't quite feel comfortable putting myself in the situation to play and the medical staff takes great care of us,” McCabe said Thursday morning via NHL.com.

“Obviously, anytime you take a puck to the head and the head's involved, you want to be extra careful and make sure you're crossing all your T's and dotting all your I's type of thing. So that's what we did.”

“He's a big part of our team back there with him and Tanev as a shutdown pair and penalty killing and just being physical and defending and things like that,” coach Craig Berube said. “He's a big part of our team so it will be great to have him back.”

The Leafs and Ducks are scheduled to drop the puck at 7:00 PM EST.

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The Maple Leafs recently re-signed Jake McCabe to a five-year contract

Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jake McCabe (22) shoots the puck against the St. Louis Blues during the third period at Scotiabank Arena.
John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

McCabe, a Wisconsin native, was selected by the Buffalo Sabres with the 44th overall pick in the 2014 NHL Draft. He spent the first six seasons of his career with the Sabres before signing a four-year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks during the 2021 offseason.

In the lead-up to the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline, he was traded along with Sam Lafferty by the Blackhawks to the Maple Leafs.

This past October, McCabe prolonged his stay with the Maple Leafs by signing a five-year, $20.5 million contract extension with the team.