Revisiting the Maple Leafs’ McCabe-Lafferty Deal

When the Toronto Maple Leafs swung their 2023 trade with the Chicago Blackhawks, it was billed as a move to toughen up the roster for a playoff push. The deal sent prospect Pavel Gogolev, winger Joey Anderson, a 2025 first-round pick, and a 2026 second-rounder to Chicago. In return, Toronto received Jake McCabe, Sam Lafferty, and two fifth-round picks.

At the time, McCabe was considered the key addition — a rugged left-shot defenceman under team control. But Sam Lafferty also brought immediate value: a speedy, gritty depth forward who could chip in offensively and play on the penalty kill. However, Lafferty’s Toronto tenure was short-lived.

Jake McCabe Has Become a Maple Leafs Blue-Line Warrior

Since arriving in Toronto during the 2022–23 season, McCabe has carved out a reputation as a tough, dependable, and quietly effective presence on the Maple Leafs’ blue line. After being acquired from the Blackhawks to bolster Toronto’s defensive grit, he quickly established himself as a top-four regular. Over three-plus seasons with the team, he’s averaged more than 20 minutes of ice time per game and has consistently logged heavy minutes in shutdown situations.

In 2023-24, he posted a career-high 28 points in 73 games and followed that up with another solid season in 2024-25, registering 23 points, 135 blocked shots, and 118 hits in 66 games, all while playing a key role on a penalty kill that often bailed out the team.

McCabe plays with a visible edge and has become a warrior for the Maple Leafs. He frequently puts his body on the line, often finishing games with bruises, cuts, and a battle-worn look that speaks volumes about his commitment. Even after missing the final seven games of the 2024–25 regular season with an upper-body injury, he stepped back into playoff action without missing a beat, paired with Chris Tanev to anchor the defensive corps.

McCabe isn’t flashy, but he’s a tone-setter; a team-first player who performs with consistency, resilience, and grit. As the Maple Leafs search for the right blend of skill and toughness, he remains one of the roster’s most reliable blueliners.

A Quick Tour: Lafferty’s Stops Since Toronto

Lafferty played just 19 regular-season games and nine playoff contests with the Maple Leafs in 2022–23. By the start of the next season, he was moved to the Vancouver Canucks for a 2024 fifth-round pick (Timofei Obvintsev). He had a career year in Vancouver, scoring 13 goals and 24 points in 79 games, mainly in a bottom-six role.

But his time on the West Coast didn’t last, either. On June 26, 2024, the Canucks dealt Lafferty and Ilya Mikheyev to the Blackhawks, attaching a 2027 second-rounder just to move salary. Lafferty never suited up again for Chicago; four days later, he signed as a free agent with the Buffalo Sabres.

Lafferty’s 2024–25 Season in Buffalo: A Rough Ride

In Buffalo, Lafferty entered the 2024–25 season with momentum from a productive year in Vancouver. But things never quite clicked. He quickly slid into a fourth-line role and remained there, unable to generate consistent offence.

The numbers tell the story. Lafferty played 60 games, notching only four goals and three assists. His minus-15 rating reflects both the Sabres’ struggles and his own. Though he contributed with 89 hits, he missed time twice with lower-body and groin injuries, further derailing his ability to find rhythm.

By March 2025, he was a game-time decision most nights. When healthy, he filled in for injured forwards like Isak Rosen, but his ice time and impact were limited. He scored only two goals after March, both in losing efforts. His most notable moment might have come in late March when he scored upon returning from a four-game absence, sparking faint hope he might salvage the season. Ultimately, Lafferty finished with just seven points in 60 games—a far cry from his Canucks’ output the year before.

Lafferty’s Journey Has Been in Decline

Lafferty’s path since leaving Chicago has been winding — Toronto to Vancouver to Buffalo, with a brief (game-less) return to the Blackhawks in between, and back to Chicago. After a promising 2023–24 season, his 2024–25 campaign with the Sabres has been disappointing. Now 31, he’s a free agent this offseason with little offensive momentum and no clear role.

For the Maple Leafs, Lafferty is a footnote in a larger trade that will ultimately be judged by how much longer McCabe can contribute.

The Bottom Line for the Maple Leafs

Back in Toronto, the broader implications of the original trade are now clearer. McCabe remains a reliable defensive presence and has cemented a spot in the Maple Leafs’ top four. He’s under contract and fits well in head coach Craig Berube’s hard-nosed system.

But that trade also cost Toronto its 2025 first-round pick, which was 25th overall. If the Maple Leafs had advanced further in the playoffs, the pick would’ve slid into the late 20s or early 30s. Instead, their second-round exit gave Chicago a decent first-round asset. The Blackhawks owned that pick as part of the McCabe-Lafferty deal. With it, the Blackhawks selected Vaclav Nestrasil.

Toronto acquired five fifth-rounders. One was used in 2024 to draft Miroslav Holinka, a long-term project. The other was used to pick William Belle.