If there is one thing we think we know this offseason, it’s that the Rangers will target at least one left defenseman on the free agent market. They don’t need to break the bank on one, they just need a 3LD that can eat minutes effectively. The criteria for the Rangers is going to be relatively simple. They are going to look for a cheaper defenseman, as they already have their top two LD accounted for. They are also likely going to go with someone who has more of a defensive reputation, and hopefully the reputation coincides with the actual results on the ice. There is one defenseman that sticks out as a perfect fit for the Rangers, and that is Jake McCabe.
Superb defensively
McCabe is almost too perfect for this role. Overlooked because, well, Buffalo, McCabe is a solid defenseman in his own end. 
Ignoring offensive impacts for a second, let’s just focus on the +41% (!!!!) positive impact McCabe had on Buffalo’s shot rates this season. Yes, it’s Buffalo, and this is going to be skewed a bit, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a lopsided heatmap before. McCabe was the only reliable defenseman in Buffalo last season. To those that want to look at plus/minus or goals allowed while he’s on the ice: Remember. Buffalo. Shot metrics relative to his teammates and his isolated impacts matter significantly more, as it eliminates the Buffalo factor.
To any Buffalo fans reading this: Sorry. Being mean is not my intention, but I’d rather just be brutally honest.
McCabe’s isolated RAPM and xGAR metrics are consistent with what we see with the shot heatmaps as well. Extremely positive defensive impact with fantastic results. It is worth noting that the RAPM and Player Card above are over three years, not just last season. So it’s not just a one season fluke for McCabe.
Something else to consider is that while McCabe is certainly superb defensively, he’s also a capable puck mover. He’s not going to be an offensive black hole like many of the “defensive specialists” are. He moves the puck well, and while he certainly doesn’t rack up points, that’s not the role the Rangers need him to fill.
He’d be a perfect dancing partner for someone like Nils Lundkvist next season, as has been mentioned numerous times on social media.
Cheap contract
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of McCabe is that he should come cheap. Per Evolving-Hockey, McCabe’s contract expectations come in at one year and $1 million and change. That’s a perfect stopgap if the Rangers are looking for a short term solution.
Multi-year contracts get a little hairier, with a two year deal coming in at an expected $2.2 million and a three year deal at $3.1 million. That’s where things might get dicey for the Rangers if they are looking at just a short term, cheap solution. However, this whole offseason is getting thrown out of whack due to the flat cap. EH nailed the Teddy Bluger contract, but whiffed by $3 million on the Ryan Nugent-Hopkins contract.
Neither will impact McCabe –different positions– just being transparent with the models I like to use. It seems the Nuge contract was a huge (see what I did there?) outlier. We haven’t seen a defense contract like that impact the market yet. It’s not like the Rangers are hurting for cap space at the moment, so they can afford a slight overpay for shorter term.
Cheap contract. Superior defensive metrics. And a solid fit for a rookie partner. Could Jake McCabe and the Rangers be a perfect match?
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