Maple Leafs get a last-minute boost ahead of tonight’s game vs. the Canucks


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Jan 1, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews (34) celebrates with forwards Easton Cowan (53) and Nick Robertson (89) and defensemen Jake McCabe (22) and Troy Stecher (28) after scoring his third goal of the game against the Winnipeg Jets in the third period at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

Toronto will have defenseman Jake McCabe back in the fold after getting cleared to play and returns to the lineup after a two game absence.

In a huge boost to Toronto’s injury woes, defenseman Jake McCabe is slotting back into the Maple Leafs lineup for their game vs. Vancouver. McCabe was seen skating earlier in the day during practice and taking part in drills while signalled he may have been back.

We can now confirm that McCabe will be back in the lineup, as he was on the ice for warmups and will be slotted beside Oliver Ekman-Larsson on the second pairing while the rest of the defense remains unchanged:

McCabe is a huge part of the Maple Leafs’ success over the last month with his ability to block tons of shots, eat minutes, play hard and nasty, and do this all without his typical defense partner is impressive to say the least.

His return marks one step closer to a fully healthy Maple Leafs lineup, and while Chris Tanev may be out for na indefinite amount of time, there is positive news about Anthony Stolarz too; so McCabe’s return is hopefully the start of more good news to come.

McCabe, 32, has 16 points in 41 games this season (3 goals, 13 assists) while adding 104 hits, 58 blocks and an astounding plus-26 in 22:01 TOI.

If McCabe is able to come in and help stabilize the defense and the penalty kill even more, then it would be a great safety net for when Stolarz returns and it will be up to him to play the role of Tanev as on-ice defensive leader.

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Maple Leafs get a last-minute boost ahead of tonight’s game vs. the Canucks

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