Leafs HC Craig Berube remains clueless about Jake McCabe injury hit during Panthers matchup

Modified Apr 05, 2025 00:13 GMT

NHL: Colorado Avalanche at Toronto Maple Leafs - Source: Imagn

The Maple Leafs lost one of their top defensemen on Tuesday when Jake McCabe sustained an undisclosed injury during a 3-2 win over the Panthers. McCabe went to the locker room with 1:10 left in regulation after a hit by Carter Verhaeghe caused him to fall hard and awkwardly into the boards.

While it is speculated that the injury occurred on that play, Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube said after the game that he wasn’t sure when it happened, according to TSN reporter Mark Masters on X (formerly Twitter).

"I’m not sure when it happened, to be honest with you,” Berube was quoted as saying. “I really don’t know."

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After Matthew Knies scored 15:09 into the final frame, McCabe also collided with another player.

The Maple Leafs clinched a playoff berth with the win over Florida and lead the Atlantic Division with 96 points through 75 games (46-25-4). McCabe has been a key contributor to Toronto’s success this season, averaging a career-high 21:31 time on ice.

NHL: Toronto Maple Leafs at Colorado Avalanche - Source: Imagn

McCabe is listed as day-to-day and is out for Saturday’s home game against the Blue Jackets.

Toronto’s 6-foot-2 center David Kampf was also forced to leave Tuesday’s game with an upper-body injury. He has also been ruled out for the Columbus matchup.

Toronto Maple Leafs v Montreal Canadiens - Source: Getty

Maple Leafs make adjustments following Jake McCabe's injury

Toronto lost one of its top defensemen when Jake McCabe exited Tuesday’s game. His 23 points (2 goals, 21 assists) through 66 games rank third among Maple Leafs defensemen.

NHL: Ottawa Senators at Toronto Maple Leafs - Source: Imagn

During Friday’s practice, Oliver Ekman-Larsson was seen skating alongside Chris Tanev, indicating that he is the likely candidate to step into McCabe’s role.

Ekman-Larsson, in his first season with Toronto, has played 15 seasons in the NHL. The Swedish defenseman is averaging 20:58 of ice time and has recorded 29 points through 74 games this season.

About the author

Sharisse Cohee is an NHL and PWHL journalist at Sportskeeda with an associate degree in Media Communications with an emphasis in Cross-Media Journalism. While earning the degree, Sharisse was the Editor-in-Chief of the campus newspaper and also became the school's resident sports reporter.

Sharisse earned a bachelor's degree in English from Arizona State University's online campus, graduating with magna cum laude honors. Both degrees influenced her career as an NHL and PWHL writer, allowing Sharisse to weave together her passions for writing and sports.

Sharisse was a sports copywriter/editor at The Upper Deck, a trading card company in Southern California, for two and a half years. She wrote creative and informative copy about hockey players and athletes from various sports, printed on the backs of the trading cards.

Her favorite teams are the Anaheim Ducks, because she was born and raised in Southern California, and also the Pittsburgh Penguins because Sidney Crosby is her all-time favorite NHL player.

When not writing about hockey, Sharisse loves fantasy sports. She plays in hockey, basketball and football fantasy leagues. She lives in San Diego, California, so has the luxury of going to the beach often. She also enjoys working out and watching true crime documentaries, game shows, and binge-worthy TV series.

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Edited by John Ezekiel Hirro