Maple Leafs sign McCabe to 5-year extension

The Toronto Maple Leafs signed defenseman Jake McCabe to a five-year contract extension worth $4.51 million per season, the team announced Monday.

The agreement involves deferred money between the second and third years of the contract, which helped lower the AAV, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

McCabe was scheduled for unrestricted free agency next summer before reaching the deal. He said at the outset of training camp that he and the Maple Leafs had already started discussing an extension.

Toronto acquired McCabe from the Chicago Blackhawks before the 2023 trade deadline. Chicago retained 50% of McCabe's $4-million salary in the deal.

McCabe instantly slotted into Toronto's top four upon arriving and notched a career-high 28 points in 73 games last season. He also contributed 219 hits and 129 blocks while averaging over 20 minutes per contest.

The 31-year-old was a second-round pick of the Buffalo Sabres in 2012.

Toronto now has McCabe, Morgan Rielly, Chris Tanev, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson locked up on defense through 2028.

The Maple Leafs have approximately $66.2 million committed to next season's roster, according to PuckPedia. The salary cap is expected to rise from this year's $88-million limit, but Toronto faces big decisions with pending UFAs Mitch Marner and John Tavares.