Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Jake McCabe went down during the second period against the Montreal Canadiens, due to an upper-body injury. The team later announced that he is ruled out for the remainder of the game. This news for the Leafs is of concern, and hopefully it is nothing significant.
Maple Leafs D Jake McCabe will not return to tonight’s game (upper body).
— Leafs PR (@LeafsPR) November 23, 2025
Let’s Analyze the Leafs Defenceman Jake McCabe’s Injury
The 32-year-old took a puck to the face. Moreover, the severity of the injury is unknown at this time. There will likely be an update from head coach Craig Berube following the contest, or tomorrow. After the game, he was tight-lipped. Simply saying “bad enough he couldn’t come back and play.” McCabe has three goals and seven assists in twenty-one games for the Maple Leafs. He is second on the team in time on ice, averaging 21:41. If they lose him for any amount of time, it is a significant blow to their defensive structure.
Lengthy Injury List
At the time of the injury, the Maple Leafs were down 4-1. McCabe will join a long list of players injured, joining superstar forwards Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies. The list of injuries for the Maple Leafs includes defenceman Chris Tanev, Brandon Carlo, Nicolas Roy, as well as starting netminder Anthony Stolarz. The Leafs would eventually go onto lose to Montreal 5-2.
What the Leafs Need to do From Here
If Jake McCabe misses time for the Maple Leafs they will need to replace a shutdown defenceman that brings toughness, leadership, and physicality. The Leafs have depth organizationally at the defence position. However, the injuries to the blueline are no doubt beginning to pile up. Already down Chris Tanev and Brandon Carlo, they might need to explore other options. Luckily, for the time being, the Troy Stecher is looking like a calculated move by general manager Brad Treliving. Don’t be surprised if this turns into an external source type of scenario. However, there is not necessarily anything imminent for the Leafs.
Craig Berube on Jake McCabe:
"I don't know the timeline of it right now, but bad enough that he couldn't come back and play" @TSN_Sports
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) November 23, 2025
Main Photo Credit: Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports
