Leafs may not pay the price for Jake McCabe
The Leafs Nation: Elliotte Friedman on the Leafs Morning Take on the Toronto Maple Leafs and Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Jake McCabe.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
“By the way, I did want to mention something else too Nick. I heard Frank Seravalli’s report on Jake McCabe about what it would cost to get him. I thought that was really interesting, in particular, that Frank had mentioned that McCabe didn’t have Toronto on his no-trade list.
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I don’t think Toronto’s going to pay that price for McCabe. I looked into that one specifically. So I did want to mention that. I thought it was a great report by Frank, but I’m not convinced Toronto’s going there for that.”
The report from Seravalli that Friedman is talking about (from last week)
The Leafs Nation: Nick Alberga and Frank Seravalli on the Toronto Maple Leafs and a defenseman they are interested in.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Seravalli: “The (Chicago) Blackhawks have received a number of calls for . He has a seven-team no-trade list. The other teams that have called include Edmonton and the Los Angeles Kings.
Here’s the thing with McCabe, his seven-team no-trade list, you say why is it seven-teams? It probably includes all seven Canadian teams for the American born defenseman.
But I’m told that the Maple Leafs are one team that are not part of that list. It’s the other six Canadian teams.
So interestingly enough, I think they’ve had some interest in him going back a ways. Here’s where it gets, this is what I outlined in the piece, Nick. Here’s were it really gets interesting from a Toronto perspective.
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What if you can entice the Chicago Blackhawks, who have tons of cap space, to retain half on Jake McCabe and get him at $2 million a year for each of the next two years?
He’s probably already playing at a $4 million level right now. Yes there risk and injury history. There’s risk with any player but at a $2 million a year, that gives you some serious cost certainty at a time when the Leafs really need it on their backend.