@boosbuzzsabres
In this series we build the 2019-20 Buffalo Sabres roster one by one leading up to the season opener on October 3.
LHD--Jake McCabe
25 yrs. old
6'1" 206 lbs.
2012, 44th-overall
Career stats: 274 games | 14 goals | 47 assists | 61 points | -19
When you look at Jake McCabe's stat-line above, there's one stat that stands out: his minus-19 plus/minus rating. Although the question of why a negative rating stands out seems rather dubious for a player, one only need to look at the Buffalo Sabres as a whole and on an individual basis since McCabe's first full season in 2015-16. It was the year that Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart, two second-overall picks, would join a group of players led by a trio of young vets that were to bring the Sabres out of the depths of their tank years on a march to the playoffs and hopefully to the status of Stanley Cup contender.
Unfortunately, it didn't work out that way. In those four years Buffalo compiled a 126-157-45 record and those 297 total points ranked them dead last in the league. Their 817 goals-for was third-worst in the league as was their 992 goals-against, good for a minus-175 goal-differential and with a negative number like that, it affected every player on the team, especially those who skated big minutes.
Six Sabres players skated in 241 or more games during that time period:
F, Reinhart--322
D, Rasmus Ristolainen--312
F, Zemgus Girgensons--289
F, Eichel--286
D, McCabe--265
F, Larsson--263
Four of those players skated over 17 minutes/game:
Ristolainen--25:42
Eichel--19:53
McCabe--19:37
Reinhart--17:32
And of those players, McCabe had the best plus/minus:
McCabe -16
Reinhart -53
Eichel -65
Ristolainen -96
There are players who are offensive-minded and players who ride the fancy-stat train to analytical stardom. What seems to be going out of style in the spread-sheet world is the tough defender who carries the load while the rest can ride their stats to glory. Jake McCabe is the latter, where stats don't matter and all he wants to do is help the team win. "I couldn't care less about points," McCabe
told me in a phone interview back in January, 2015, right in the midst of his first pro season. "I want to contribute offensively and on the powerplay, but I'm not the one to grab the game-sheet after the game to see if they gave me an assist or goal.
"Obviously those are nice, but I don't live or die by them."
Chadd Cassidy was the head coach at the time and his praise of the rookie blueliner was effusive for much of the season, from McCabe's roots and work-ethic to how he approached and played the game.
"He comes from a good blue-collar background," said the coach back then. "He plays hard very night, gives you everything he's got, a team-first guy and a guy that others around [him] trust because they know he's going to put it on the line for them."
And that's the way he's played in Buffalo since joining the team full-time in '15/'16. The rugged blueliner who's laid some crushing blows on the likes of Daniel Paille (BOS) and Patrick Laine (WPG) is second amongst Sabres d-men in hits the last four years with 400 (Ristolainen, 775) and is second in blocked shots with 401 (Ristolainen, 530.)
We know the player he is, but unfortunately that style has led to injury problems lately. McCabe has missed 29 and 23 games, respectively, over the last two seasons and that's the fear moving forward. He's a valuable piece of the team and can fill a bottom-four role on the d-corps but he needs to stay healthy. The 25 yr. old just re-upped with the club on a two-year deal, perhaps an indication from management that were hesitant about signing him to a longer-term deal with the way his seasons have gone lately.
However, when he's on the ice he's a rugged, defensive-minded blueliner who also can skate well and provide some offense. Those are traits that most teams can use and Buffalo's no different.
Building the 2019-20 Buffalo Sabres roster:
LW, Jeff Skinner /
C, Jack Eichel/
RW, Sam Reinhart
LW, Jimmy Vesey /
C, Casey Mittelstadt /
RW, Marcus Johansson
LHD, Rasmus Dahlin /
RHD, Brandon Montour
LHD, Jake McCabe /
G, Carter Hutton
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