The Leafs initially expressed optimism that the defenseman would not miss time after taking a puck to the head.
NEWARK, N.J. — Jake McCabe will miss his fifth consecutive game as the Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman continues to recover from an upper-body injury.
McCabe participated in practice on Monday, skating on the fourth defensive pair alongside Marshall Rifai. Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube confirmed that McCabe would not be in the lineup on Tuesday when the team faces the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center.
The injury occurred on Nov. 30 when McCabe took a puck to the head off a shot by Lightning defenseman Nick Perbix. Following the game, Berube expressed optimism, stating McCabe was "fine".
However, McCabe was scratched ahead of the team’s next game on Dec. 2 against the Chicago Blackhawks, with the club citing precautionary reasons.
The following day, McCabe addressed the incident, calling it a "scary incident" and declaring himself ready to play against the Nashville Predators. Despite his optimism, he was not cleared to return.
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The Leafs have remained tight-lipped about McCabe’s condition, revealing only that it is an upper-body injury. His situation mirrors a pattern of "day-to-day" injuries on the team that have lingered for weeks.
Auston Matthews, for instance, was sidelined with an upper-body injury initially deemed day-to-day, but his absence extended to nearly a month, including a trip to see a specialist in Germany. Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving noted at the time that sometimes day-to-day can turn into longer.
Meanwhile, Max Domi is set to return after missing eight games with a lower-body injury, which was also initially listed as day-to-day.
As for McCabe, the severity of his injury remains unclear. He skated during Monday’s practice but did not participate in the optional skate ahead of Tuesday's game against the Devils.
But 2024 will be looked at the year of the 'day-to-day' for the Maple Leafs. Last season in March, Mitch Marner's reported ankle injury was day-to-day, to which then-head coach Sheldon Keefe later said Marner was "day-to-day away from being day-to-day".