Surprise Defenseman Draws In For the Leafs as Top-4 Blueliner Absent from Practice
Jake McCabe was absent from practice on Monday, leading to a surprise inclusion as a placeholder while Toronto figures out what to do next.
It's been a tough year for the Maple Leafs so far, with the list of injuries starting to reach a worrying amount. The team finally got Auston Matthews back after almost a month, and Matthew Knies came back after a two-game absence.
But in that return game Toronto lost Jake McCabe after a puck to the neck, and per TSN's Mark Masters on X, it doesn't look good for the Leafs or McCabe.
If the Maple Leafs didn't have enough injury problems, losing McCabe would be a mighty blow to the team. Part of the Leafs' shutdown defensive pairing with Chris Tanev, he has become one of the league's toughest players to score against and has found a new fearlessness in blocking shots.
Head coach Craig Berube is hopeful that McCabe can return soon, stating he's just keeping the defenseman out for precautionary reasons and he should be good to go soon:
Just the circumstances of it all I think it's the best thing to do for the player. You know, you gotta be careful."
Who Does Toronto Count On In McCabe's Absence?
Suiting up for McCabe is Philippe Myers, a free agent signing who was signed as depth in the summer, though has a lot of potential the team finds interesting.
The 6'5, 220-pound defenseman is not as elite as McCabe when it comes to defense but can hold his own no doubt. Signed by the Philadelphia Flyers as a free agent, Myers has played in 159 NHL games with 8 goals and 28 assists with Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, and Toronto.
Stepping in for McCabe is no easy feat, but trusting someone like Myers who has a fair share of NHL experience is a huge asset. Myers will be a solid stop-gap option, and saw first-line minutes at practice; a huge leap for the defenseman.
Safe to say Myers is excited to get the chance to help Toronto start up another win streak after a bounce back 5-3 against Tampa Bay. If McCabe were to miss more than just one game, it could be disastrous for the team and it's up to Myers to keep things locked down.
Toronto will look to face McCabe's old team without their stout defenseman in tow as they take on the Chicago Blackhawks from Scotiabank Arena on Monday. The puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 PM ET.
FAQ: Surprise Defenseman Fills In For Jake McCabe
Q1: Who was the defenseman who took over for Jake McCabe because he's hurt?
Q2: Why was Jake McCabe injured?
In closing, Philippe Myers will have a tough task filling in for Jake McCabe, but if anyone can do it, it's Myers. A veteran who needs a chance to prove he can stick around, this is the perfect chance for Myers to show Toronto why he's such an intriguing defender.
| POLL | ||
Does Toronto need to take a closer look at why they are getting injured so often? | ||
| Yes it's worrying | 356 | 60.6 % |
| No it's normal | 231 | 39.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
