'He's Doing Really Well': Jake McCabe Practices With Maple Leafs For First Time Since Suffering Upper-Body Injury Against Flyers

Jake McCabe participated in practice with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday but didn't stay out there long.

The 31-year-old suffered an upper-body injury on Jan. 5 after falling to the ice awkwardly in his fight with Philadelphia Flyers forward Garnet Hathaway. He left the ice on his own power and hasn't seen game action since.

McCabe has missed the last three games with the injury, and this is the first time he's practiced with the team since.

He worked with the team's development staff before practice and only participated in Toronto's full skate for about 10 minutes. He exited the ice shortly before the team did line rushes.

The defenseman was placed on the Maple Leafs' injured reserve list on Jan. 6, retroactive to Jan. 5, when he suffered the upper-body injury. McCabe is eligible to return to Toronto's lineup whenever he's ready.

Related: How Close Are Jake McCabe And Anthony Stolarz To Returning To Maple Leafs' Lineup?

"It was great he was out there. I know he skated a little bit before, but he did some drills with us. He's doing really well," Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said on Monday after practice. "There's no setbacks with him, so it's good to see."

Berube didn't provide a timeline on when McCabe could return to Toronto's lineup.

McCabe previously missed five games in December after taking a puck to the head from Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Nick Perbix on Nov. 30. The defenseman returned to the Maple Leafs' lineup on Dec. 12 against the Anaheim Ducks.

Related: 'Feeling A Lot Better Than I Was Last Week': Why Jake McCabe Is Ready To Return To Maple Leafs Lineup Against Ducks After Missing Five Games With Injury

McCabe has appeared in 36 games this season, scoring one goal and 10 assists while averaging 20:52 of ice time on the Maple Leafs' second defense pair. He signed a five-year, $22.565 million contract extension on Oct. 28.

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