THREE THINGS: Get to Know Jake McCabe

New Blackhawk defenseman
Jake McCabe
is raring to go with his new club.
The shutdown blueliner signed a four-year deal carrying a $4 million salary cap hit on Wednesday after parts of eight seasons with the Buffalo Sabres, who drafted him in the second round of the 2012 draft. With 353 games under his belt at 27 years old, McCabe is ready step into a revamped Chicago blue line and play a big role with his style of play.

"I take pride in my defense and shutting down other teams' top lines and really just do whatever it takes to win -- block shots, be physical, be hard to play against and bring that leadership mentality in the dressing room and on the ice," he explained. "That's what I fully expect to bring to this team."

Here are three things you should know about McCabe:

HOME SWEET CHICAGO

Wisconsin born, raised and educated, with three years at the University of Wisconsin, McCabe is right at home in Chicago, a place he already calls his adopted home.
His wife, he told reporters, hails from Downers Grove and the couple's daughter was born here in April 2020 (with a baby boy set to join the family this December as well). He's spent his last five offseasons in the city and after signing with Chicago on Wednesday as free agency opened, was able to make the short 20-minute drive from his home in Lakeview to start meeting the staff at Fifth Third Arena.
"Honestly, this has been really a dream come true," he said of signing with the Blackhawks. "I've been kind of secretly hoping this was going to come to fruition for a long time."
"It's really surreal that I was able just to come to work here today. I got chills walking in the building, it's really exciting," he continued. "I'm at a loss for words a little bit. I'm so excited."
Really, McCabe's been preparing to be a Blackhawk his whole career:

FAMILIAR FACES

The toughest part of any new city or team can be getting to know your new teammates and locker room compadres, but McCabe is already a step ahead of the game. Not only has his offseason training in the city led to crossing paths with other Blackhawks over the years, but he goes way back with a couple of key blueliners.
"I'm pretty sure every single U.S. team that I've been lucky enough to play on, Murph (Connor Murphy)'s been on that team since we've been 15, maybe 16," he explained. "We go way back and know each other well and went through the National Development program together. Jonesy (Seth Jones) was there as well, a year younger than us, but I've played on a lot of teams with him.
"That familiarity obviously helps initially and there's a lot of very, very talented players on this roster that I'm excited to meet as well."
The way the rest of that roster has been built was a compelling factor for McCabe to sign his four-year deal on Wednesday.
"Bringing in Jonesy, I've been playing against him the last seven years in the league and he's about elite a defenseman as they come. Bringing a guy like that immediately helps your team get better," he said. "I've watched a few games over the last year or so and a lot of young kids that have come in and made an impact right away. Obviously when you've got Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews on your roster, you have a chance to win every single night. Really just hoping to add everything I can to this group and just that compete level every single night."

BOUNCING BACK

In late February, McCabe suffered a right knee injury, namely to his ACL, MCL and meniscus. He was given a six-to-eight month recovery timeline and is on track to be fully recovered ahead of his first Chicago training camp in late September.
"It's been really smooth," he said of his rehab process. "I've been skating for a month now already and feeling really comfortable on the ice. Still have two more months to go, so I'm fully prepared to be a full participant in training camp and just keep grinding away at it."
Prior to his injury, McCabe was averaging nearly 20 minutes of ice time per night in his second season as an alternate captain in Buffalo. Despite the setback to what was shaping up to be perhaps his strongest season yet, the 27 year old says that he's confident he can get back to his previous level, and then some.
"I have zero concerns," McCabe said. "My rehab's gone very, very well and the last month on the ice has gone really, really well, too. A lot of guys have had an ACL injury in hockey and have come back even stronger. I've got no doubt in my mind that my level will be even higher."