Jake McCabe's first goal as a Leaf was a beauty
When the Leafs pursued a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks to bring in Jake McCabe, we knew we'd be getting a good one, but the fanbase was more focused on what he'd be able to do on the defensive side of the puck and weren't exactly expecting him to score many goals. However, it would appear as though the 29-year-old may actually have some untapped offensive potential, as he scored an absolute beauty for the Leafs on Saturday night in enemy territory in Ottawa.
McCabe opened the scoring for the Leafs as the late man coming in to pick up a rebound that had been kicked out by Sens goaltender Mads Sogaard. He didn't simply step into one and uncork a howitzer from the point. Instead, he showed patience, poise and vision by skating into the slot and firing home a beautiful wrist shot through traffic. You can see the replay below.
McCabe is being viewed as the team's Jake Muzzin replacement, and in a lot of ways, he is absolutely that. He's a solid two-way defended who is going to block shots, take the body and try to clear the front of the net. If he does, in fact, have some untapped offensive potential, this one could end up being a steal for the Leafs.
McCabe has 2 years remaining on his current deal after this season at a very modest $2M AAV, thanks to the Chicago Blackhawks retaining 50% of his $4M cap hit.
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