The Toronto Maple Leafs took care of some off-ice business on Monday. The Maple Leafs signed defenseman Jake McCabe to a five-year contract extension. McCabe joined the Maple Leafs through a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks. And so far, the move has worked out well for both sides.

McCabe has become one of the more trusted blueliners in Toronto. The 31-year-old defender is averaging over 21 minutes a game through nine games this season. He also averaged north of 20 minutes a night last year, which is something he had only done twice before. He did it once with the Blackhawks and once with the Buffalo Sabres in 2016-17.

“It's really exciting for me and my family,” McCabe said of his new deal on Monday, via NHL.com. “We've loved our time in Toronto thus far, and to be able to sign off for another five years is super exciting for us. I mean, you obviously never know how sometimes negotiations go. But Brad [Treliving, general manager] has been great the whole time and able to work something out here, and I think we're all very excited about it.”

Jake McCabe has reached new heights with Maple Leafs

Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jake McCabe (22) clears the puck away from Montreal Canadiens forward Emil Heineman (51) in the second period at Scotiabank Arena.
Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

Jake McCabe is certainly no stranger to the NHL. He began his career with the Sabres in 2013-14 at 20 years old. And he became an NHL regular in 2015-16. McCabe went on to play over 350 games for Buffalo, though he never found success in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In 2021, McCabe signed a four-year contract with the Blackhawks.

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He played one season for the Blackhawks before his February 2023 trade to the Maple Leafs. With Toronto, the Wisconsin native has reached new heights on the ice. For instance, he has recorded his two best offensive seasons over the last two years. He put up career highs in goals and points during his first full season with the Maple Leafs, as well.

His defensive metrics are also solid. Dating back to 2021-22, McCabe has a Goals Allowed Per 60 Minutes of 2.64, according to Evolving Hockey. Additionally, his On-Ice Save Percentage is .914 over these last three seasons.

“I think it's great,” coach Craig Berube said of the extension, via NHL.com. “He's a team-first guy, hard defender, hard to play against. He's the type of [defenseman] you want on your hockey team.”

The Maple Leafs certainly wanted to keep McCabe around for the long haul. With this new contract, he could retire as a Maple Leaf down the line. Perhaps he can help Toronto win the Stanley Cup before this contract expires in 2030.