Auston Matthews returned to practice and nearly took part in a full session. The question is how much longer? Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jake McCabe is learning to live with a few busted teeth. The 31-year-old took Lucas Raymond's stick to the face during Toronto's matchup on Dec. 27 against the Detroit Red Wings. McCabe went down briefly before picking his teeth up and going to the Maple Leafs' bench. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VQR5t4GRfs[/embed] He finished the game with the second-most ice time among defensemen with Toronto. McCabe said he got some work done in the dentist's chair a few days later before messing his teeth up shortly after. "Our dentist there in Toronto fixed it up and then I bit my nail yesterday (Wednesday) and cracked one off," McCabe said with a grin ahead of Toronto's matchup against the New York Islanders on Thursday. "My kids are getting a kick out of it. I'll get it fixed eventually." [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvfDe9CJ5mY[/embed] McCabe also admitted that a few of his teeth were half-broken, not lost completely after he took Raymond's stick to the mouth against Detroit. The defenseman's face has undoubtedly taken a beating over the last year, however, it's surprising his teeth have remained intact. On April 13, 2024, McCabe blocked a shot with his face, also against the Red Wings. He left to get some stitches before returning with a huge gash under his left eye. "[McCabe's] pretty tough. Have you seen his face lately?" Simon Benoit said with a smile a couple of days after McCabe's block. "He's a good guy too. He's really tough. He likes to play hard. And he plays that type of game that not many players play anymore, so having him around is really nice." McCabe has been one of Toronto's top defensemen this season. He's played 34 games, registering nine assists while averaging 21:15 of ice time, the second-most ice time among the Maple Leafs this season. The veteran defenseman signed a five-year, $22.565 million extension with Toronto on Oct. 28. The annual average value of his contract is $4,513,102, making him an unrestricted free agent at the age of 36. McCabe has played 611 games over his 12-year NHL career. He has 33 goals and 128 assists for 161 points while averaging 19:41 of ice time with Toronto, the Buffalo Sabres, and Chicago Blackhawks. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjExNjM5NDEwNTc4NDM0MDI0/googlenews.svg] Stay updated with the most interesting Maple Leafs stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwytvfCA?ceid=CA:en&oc=3] to never miss a story.
