One Play From the Maple Leafs' Win on Saturday Earning Jake McCabe a Ton of Respect

It was pretty clear when Jake McCabe was out of the lineup for the Maple Leafs with what was believed to be a concussion that the team missed what he brings to the table immensely.

McCabe has been a heart and soul player for the Leafs since coming over from Chicago a few years back, which is one of the primary reasons why he earned himself a lucrative new contract with the Leafs this season.

McCabe's teammates respect the veteran defenseman and often speak highly of how he plays the game. That praise will only continue after Saturday's effort against Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers.

During the late stages of what ended up being a very close game between the Leafs and Oilers, McCabe made this highlight reel defensive play to eliminate a grade A scoring chance for the best player in the game.

Not only that, but McCabe also logged more ice time than anyone in the game, playing a career-high 30:22 in the 4-3 road win. He played more than half of his ice time going head-to-head with McDavid, and still managed to finish a +1 on the night, holding McDavid off the score sheet entirely.

If there was ever any doubt that McCabe was the team's top defenseman, his performance on Saturday should solidify it. No disrespect to Chris Tanev, who has been excellent for the Leafs this season, but McCabe has found a whole new level to his game, which is great news for the Maple Leafs and a huge reason why they locked him up for 5 more seasons.