Craig Berube's Update on Jake McCabe Creating Uncertainty for the Maple Leafs
Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube has provided an update on Jake McCabe, but unfortunately, it has led to a lot of uncertainty moving forward.
During Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Flyers, when Jake McCabe had bounced his head off the ice after a 1st period tilt with Garnet Hathaway, there were immediate concerns on both sides of the ice for McCabe's wellbeing.
After McCabe had hit the ice, watching him try to get up and fall backward in a daze was like shades of the Corey Perry-John Tavares incident during the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs. It was heartbreaking to watch, but it was a relief to know that both were going to be okay.
The Leafs ruled McCabe out for the game following the incident, and while Berube and company didn't really have any updates on his condition after the game, Tuesday morning provided a little more clarity in terms of the fact that we now know for sure that McCabe is going to miss time.
Following practice on Tuesday, here's what Leafs bench boss Craig Berube had to say about one of his top shutdown defensemen and whether or not there was anything he could share regarding his health.
Judging from the comments, it certainly sounds like concussion protocol, even if Berube didn't come out and use the word "concussion".
Unfortunately, McCabe recently missed a string of games in the month of December after taking a puck to the head, so the fact that he's now sustained multiple head injuries in a short period of time, it's obviously a concern -- and one that the Leafs will not take lightly.
In McCabe's absence, Oliver Ekman-Larsson has moved up to play with Chris Tanev. Conor Timmins will also re-enter the lineup, skating next to Simon Benoit, leaving Morgan Rielly to continue to develop chemistry with his new D partner, Philippe Myers, who recently signed a 2-year extension with the Leafs.
