NHL Insider links the Leafs to someone who was not previously on the radar
The Leafs approach the next 6 weeks with a number of potential roster needs ahead of the March 3rd trade deadline. I think it's been well-established at his point that the Buds would prefer to add both a forward and a defenseman at the deadline, which could take them out of the market for all of the big fish rentals. However, it doesn't mean that the guys they look to add won't be impact players.
On Friday, NHL Insider Frank Seravalli joined the Leafs Morning Take to discuss some of the Leafs' possible options at the deadline. One name that came up is not one that we've heard in direct connection to the Leafs yet this season - Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Jake McCabe.
Seravalli emphasized that the Leafs may be more interested in shoring up their back end than up front, though he did mention that a 2LW may still be a position of interest for the Leafs. However, if it comes down to choosing between a forward and a defenseman, Seravalli believes that McCabe is someone who the Leafs may have already checked in on.
It was originally reported that McCabe's 7-team no-trade list might include all 7 Canadian teams, but Seravalli confirmed on Friday that the previous reports were not accurate, at least according to his sources. The Insider mentioned that the Leafs were not on McCabe's no-trade list, meaning that he would be willing to play for the Leafs.
It's no secret that McCabe is not happy playing for yet another rebuilding team in Chicago. When he signed there, it was believed that the Hawks were ready to make a huge push to challenge for the Cup. Since that time, the front office has been torn down and rebuilt and have embarked upon a total roster rebuild there as well. McCabe revealed recently that he's not happy with the fact that he's never seen the Stanley Cup Playoffs and that he would welcome the opportunity to join a contending team to have the chance to compete for a Cup.
McCabe, 29, is signed through 2024-25 at a very reasonable $4M cap hit. If the Leafs can somehow convince the Hawks to retain some of McCabe's salary, as Seravalli suggested, the Buds could potentially have located a diamond in the rough in McCabe, who has played some very good hockey this year, currently sitting at a +4 +/- rating on a very bad Chicago Blackhawks team this season. He's also chipped in some secondary offense with 13 points in 40 games with the Hawks so far this year.
| POLL | ||
JANVIER 20 | 257 ANSWERS NHL Insider links the Leafs to someone who was not previously on the radar Should the Leafs take a run at acquiring Jake McCabe from Chicago? | ||
| Yes | 114 | 44.4 % |
| No | 101 | 39.3 % |
| We need a top six winger | 42 | 16.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
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