Jake McCabe led Leafs blueliners in time on ice per game in both the regular season and playoffs while playing a primary matchup role. He turns 32 in October and signed a five-year extension that begins this season, likely costing him salary due to a rising cap. Morgan Rielly is listed behind McCabe on the left despite being the highest-paid defenseman. Rielly should receive an expanded role on the top power-play unit after Mitch Marner's departure and will likely have a more stable partner in Brandon Carlo or Chris Tanev. Oliver Ekman-Larsson appears on the left largely due to a lack of right-handed options.
He turns 32 in October, but he was rewarded with a five-year extension that kicks in at the start of this season. Of note, with the cap rising after McCabe signed the deal, he likely left quite a bit of money on the table in a year when players like Ryan Lindgren and Cody Ceci secured just about the same AAV.
Presumably, Rielly will receive an expanded opportunity this season. With Mitch Marner departed, Rielly should get first crack on the top power-play unit, which automatically would increase his production and probably help his overall game by way of more puck touches. Plus - and perhaps more importantly - he will, in all likelihood, play with a much more stable partner in either Brandon Carlo or Tanev, rather than last season's rotating cast of partners that included a large stretch of time with Phillippe Myers.
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