Veteran Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Jake McCabe is having fun with a productive 2022-23 marketing campaign and has likelihood to set a brand new profession excessive in factors. Sadly, his particular person numbers aren’t what matter to him at this stage of his profession.
McCabe is in the course of his eighth full season within the NHL — tenth total — and has by no means been on a staff that has come near qualifying for the playoffs.
“I don’t actually give a s— about my private stats, to be trustworthy with you,” he stated in an interview with The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus. “It’s all in regards to the staff and all about successful. I’ve misplaced so much on this league, and it’s getting fairly outdated. So I wouldn’t say that I’m by any means glad if I’m taking part in good or not. It depends upon how we’re doing as a staff.”
McCabe was drafted by Buffalo in 2012 and logged time on some abysmal Sabres groups. Now the 29-year-old finds himself on a Blackhawks squad that’s firmly within the rebuilding stage, which isn’t what he anticipated when he signed a four-year contract with the membership forward of the 2021-22 marketing campaign.
“Frankly, it sucks, however it’s what it’s,” McCabe stated of the rebuild. “You simply should have perspective about it. I believe I do a reasonably good job of separating my work from my household and switch that a part of my mind off after I get dwelling as finest as I can. Some days are simpler than others. However I are available in refreshed the subsequent day and able to work and proceed to get higher at my very own sport, assist younger guys round right here and assist us develop as a staff and develop an identification.”
Chicago owns the worst file within the league and is anticipated to proceed buying and selling its high gamers, having already dealt key forwards Alex DeBrincat and Kirby Dach final summer season. Franchise icons Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews might very properly discover new properties by the March 3 commerce deadline.
So is McCabe additionally hoping to be shipped to a staff with Stanley Cup aspirations this spring? He claims he merely goes with the circulate and tries to make the perfect out of no matter state of affairs is in entrance of him.
“That s—’s out of my management,” he stated. “You possibly can’t spend your nights laying in mattress occupied with what’s going to occur subsequent 12 months or two months from now or 4 months or no matter it might be. I actually keep very current, and I believe I’ve completed job of that over my profession. I’ve discovered to deal with that fairly properly.
“Why waste your breath worrying about these issues? I come to work excited and I come to work my ass off each night time. What else are you able to do?”
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