LHD--Jake McCabe
24 yrs. old
6'1" 210 lbs.
2012, 44th-overall
Career stats: 215 games | 10 goals | 37 assists | 47 points | -15
There's a lot to be said for Jake McCabe that won't show up on the scoresheet. The very fact that head coach Phil Housley has him next to first overall pick Rasmus Dahlin to start camp says a lot about the type of leadership McCabe exudes and the trust Housley has in him to start Dahlin's career off on the right foot.
Housley and McCabe's hockey relationship date back to 2012 when the coach tabbed McCabe to be captain of Team USA at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championships. It was Housley's first head coaching job outside of Stillwater (MN) high school and he was impressed with the 19 yr. old Wisconsin Badger's demeanor and named him captain of the team. "I really liked what he brought in Lake Placid in August [at evaluation camp]," he said of McCabe at the time. "He's just a very calm demeanor in the locker room, on the ice. He says the right things at the right time; I think he can control the locker room.
"He's very mature, probably mature beyond his years."
Since he first hit the ice for a seven-game stint late in the 2013-14 season McCabe has made his mark as a player that isn't heard from very much outside the rink or after games but he's managed to make some noise on the ice. At Boston he leveled Bruins forward Daniel Paille with a clean check in the second to last game of his seven-game pro debut and in January, 2017 he walloped Winnipeg's Patrick Laine with a fierce open-ice check in the neutral zone that's worth another looks (thx, Sportsnet):
McCabe is a fierce defender who's made (and still makes) his mistakes although he's always had a penchant for bouncing back nicely from them. He's also paid his dues and has gotten a good handle on the speed of the NHL while focusing on the defensive aspects of his game ever since he turned pro. When you put it all together, pairing a defensive-minded young vet like McCabe with an offensive-minded rookie like Dahlin seems like a good way to start things off at camp.
"I just felt it was a good combination," Housley told the gathered media after their first practice of the season yesterday. "I just felt it was a good mix. You have a veteran guy trying to mentor a young guy and Jake is a good player for that."
Housley also mentioned the obvious in that Dahlin will have a lot of different d-partners leading up to the season. When all's said and done Dahlin will be in the top-half of the d-corps while McCabe will probably be in the bottom half but with McCabe's ability to play either side (and Dahlin's as well,) if the pairing shows promise right now, Housley could go back to them at some point during the season.
Right now there are 15 defensemen at camp and by the end of it only eight or so will by vying for spots in the lineup. McCabe will be in the d-corps somewhere and as of right now he looks to be starting out the season on the bottom-pairing, which is a good sign for Buffalo. The 24 yr. old has shown that he can be a solid second-pairing defenseman so having him here means there are some quality defensemen in front of him.
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