Jake McCabe ruled out vs. Canadiens, Hurricanes, expected to return before end of season

Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Jake McCabe has been ruled out of Saturday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens, and Sunday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes, head coach Craig Berube confirmed Friday.

McCabe is expected to return before the end of the regular season, Berube said. The 31-year-old hasn’t played since an April 2 victory over the Florida Panthers, where he left during the final minute of the third period. He has recorded two goals and 23 points in 66 games for the Maple Leafs, while forming a shutdown pairing with Chris Tanev.

Toronto will play Saturday’s game with five defencemen, as Oliver Ekman-Larsson was ruled out of Saturday’s game. Ekman-Larsson did not participate in Friday’s practice and was listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. The 33-year-old has been a durable, steady presence for the Maple Leafs, with four goals and 29 points in 77 games.

Jani Hakanpaa participated in Friday’s practice but it would be extremely difficult for the Maple Leafs to create enough cap room to add his salary. Hakanpaa has played in two games this season while recovering from a lingering knee injury.

Morgan Rielly and Brandon Carlo will likely see an increased workload, while Chris Tanev and Simon Benoit could see an uptick in minutes as well. Rielly and Benoit could play some overflow minutes with Myers as well. Carlo has been a stabilizing force on the back end since being acquired from the Boston Bruins at the trade deadline.

Toronto has battled myriad injuries throughout the season and remain atop the Atlantic Division with games remaining in the regular season. It’s an inopportune time for the defensive depth to become depleted, but the Maple Leafs will do everything they can to submit a fully healthy roster ahead of the first round of the playoffs, where McCabe and Ekman-Larsson will be integral pieces.