During Saturday night's 4-3 overtime loss to the New York Islanders, Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jake McCabe exited the game in the third period and did not return.
Following the loss, head coach Craig Berube said he would undergo testing and wasn't sure of the severity of the injury. If McCabe were to miss an extended period of time, or frankly, any time, it could be the end of the Maple Leafs' season.
McCabe injury is cause for concern for Maple Leafs
Jake McCabe has undoubtedly been the Maple Leafs' most reliable defenceman. He won't show up on the scoresheet often, but he provides the time of game that any team would want. He is the Maple Leafs' defensive rock and can play in all situations.
We are not sure of the cause of the injury, and whether it is upper or lower-body, which could be a good or bad thing. Berube mentioned that he doesn't believe that the injury is a reason for concern, but the Leafs won't know until the testing is completed. McCabe suffered an upper-body injury back on November 22nd, but did not miss anytime.
The Maple Leafs have a three-day break ahead of themselves to recoup before the faceoff versus the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night. The three-day break could be exactly what McCabe needs before returning to the Leafs' lineup. This season with the Maple Leafs, McCabe has produced three goals and 13 assists for 16 points in 41 games with a +26 and a time on ice of just over 21 minutes.
What they will do moving forward
Philippe Myers will likely re-enter the Maple Leafs lineup if McCabe is forced to miss anytime. Simon Benoit will likely move up to the second pair with Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Rielly will stay with Troy Stecher, while Myers will play alongside Matt Benning who made his Leafs debut on Saturday night.
The Maple Leafs are still without William Nylander and Brandon Carlo, who will both look to make a return to the Leafs lineup soon. Carlo's return could prove to be vital as it could keep them afloat until McCabe returns. With half of their season remaining, the Maple Leafs have no room for error and will need to stay healthy moving forward.