In seven games against the Maple Leafs since joining Florida, defenseman Bryan McCabe has compiled the following: 3g-2a-5p, a plus-1 rating, 0 penalty minutes, 1 ppg, 2 ppa, 1 gwg, and 21 shots.
Not his best numbers against an in-conference, non-Southeast club (8 points in eight games vs. Philadelphia) but solid nonetheless for a blueliner on an eternally evolving team.
Putting aside his captaincy, McCabe is the defacto Number One Defenseman. His 37 points lead all Panthers defenders by a whopping 15 (Keith Ballard); even recently departed Dennis Seidenberg had “only” collected 23 points in his 62 games before being dealt to Boston. Jordan Leopold was five back of that number with one less game played.
So “Caber” has a lock on the Florida blueline, a testament to his talent being in the upper B-list category. He’s no Mike Green or Drew Doughty, but on a more offensively-inclined club, his numbers would undoubtedly be higher (could say the same for Tomas Kaberle, but that’s another story).
Currently ranked 20th overall in league scoring by defensemen; 22nd in both goals and assists, and 26th in SOG.
Most assuredly the Toronto boo-birds will be in force this evening each and every time #24 touches the puck at Air Canada Centre, but as the months and years since his trade from the Leafs continue to roll by, the noise and anticipation will eventually whither to a footnote.
In any event, the Panthers could have been mired in the muck of paying this guy grande bones for lesser stats.
Live Game Forum tonight at 7pm.