McCabe hasn't played since taking a puck off the head on Nov. 30 against the Lightning.
McCabe hasn't played since taking a puck off the head on Nov. 30 against the Lightning.
Jake McCabe will return to the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup on Thursday night against the Anaheim Ducks.
The defenseman has missed the last five games after taking a puck to the head from Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Nick Perbix on Nov. 30. Aside from Toronto calling him day-to-day with an upper-body injury, there is no word on what's kept him out of the lineup.
"Feeling a lot better now than I was last week, I guess. Didn't quite feel right, didn't quite feel comfortable putting myself in the situation to play and the medical staff takes great care of us," McCabe said Thursday morning.
"Obviously, anytime you take a puck to the head and the head's involved, you want to be extra careful and make sure you're crossing all your T's and dotting all your I's type of thing. So that's what we did."
He missed the Maple Leafs' next game against the Chicago Blackhawks on Dec. 2 before calling himself "good to go" one day after Toronto's practice. He ultimately missed the matchup against the Nashville Predators — and every game since with the injury.
"Yeah, it's never fun being out of the lineup, watching the boys compete," McCabe said. "But yeah, very happy to be back in today."
McCabe returned to his usual spot on the Maple Leafs' second defense pairing at Thursday's morning skate beside Chris Tanev. Toronto is set to take on the Ducks later in the evening.
Marshall Rifai was returned to the Toronto Marlies on Thursday before the team's morning skate. With McCabe set to re-enter the lineup, the team had no point in having an overflowing defense corpse.
Philippe Myers has played with Morgan Rielly in McCabe's absence but is a projected scratch with the veteran defenseman returning to the lineup on Thursday.
"He's a big part of our team back there. With him and Tanny, shut down pairing, penalty killing, and just physical play and just defending and things like that," Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said on Thursday. "So he's a big part of our team. So it would be great to have him back."
Nikita Grebenkin, who has played in seven games with the Maple Leafs this season, was recalled from the AHL. He was one of four extras at the morning skate, alongside Nick Robertson, Bobby McMann (on injured reserve with a lower-body injury), and David Kampf (on long-term injured reserve with a lower-body injury).
Along with McCabe's return to the lineup, Toronto has kept Matthew Knies with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner on the top line. Berube returned the young forward to the line midway through Tuesday's game against the New Jersey Devils.
Max Pacioretty, who previously held the spot on the top line since his return to the lineup on Saturday against the Pittsburgh Penguins, moves to play with John Tavares and William Nylander.
Anthony Stolarz is the Maple Leafs' projected starting goaltender against the Ducks, whom he spent four seasons with, from 2019 to 2023.