Jake McCabe injury: HC Craig Berube confirms big blow for top D-man as playoffs inch closer

Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jake McCabe has been officially ruled out for Saturday night's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. McCabe left Wednesday night's 3-2 win over Florida in the final minutes after taking a hard hit into the boards from Carter Verhaeghe. The rugged blueliner was then absent from Friday morning's practice, raising concerns about his status moving forward.

Head coach Craig Berube confirmed after practice that both McCabe and David Kampf, who also left Wednesday's game early, will not play on Saturday night.

Maple Leafs reporter Nick Barden shared the injury updates Craig Berube provided to the media following Friday's practice on X (formerly Twitter).

"David Kampf and Jake McCabe will be out of the lineup tomorrow against Columbus, says head coach Craig Berube. 'Right now, I'd say day-to-day. I can't really comment on that too much about how long it's going to be,'" Barden wrote.

Philippe Myers is expected to enter the lineup in McCabe's place on Saturday.

Jake McCabe opened the campaign as a pending UFA in the final season of a four-year, $16 million contract. His strong play earned a five-year, $22.565 million extension with the Maple Leafs back in October.

The deal former Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas made to acquire McCabe at the 2023 NHL trade deadline has turned out to work wonders for Toronto.

Jake McCabe has been extremely consistent throughout his time as a Maple Leaf

While he may not put up flashy numbers, Jake McCabe has been vital to the success of the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 31-year-old has produced 23 points (two goals, 21 assists) in 66 games this season. He's also delivered 118 hits and blocked 135 shots, while being a +23 rating in his 21:31 of average ice time per game.

With the well-documented struggles of Morgan Rielly, McCabe has assumed the role of Toronto's top defenseman. He and offseason signing Chris Tanev have formed one of, if not the best, shutdown pairings in the National Hockey League.

The Maple Leafs can only hope that his absence is indeed day-to-day and nothing too serious, as Berube noted, with only seven regular-season games remaining before the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Maple Leafs will be back in action on Saturday night without Jake McCabe or David Kampf when they host the Columbus Blue Jackets. The puck drops at 7 p.m. EST at Scotiabank Arena.