Cade Webber has officially signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
To make room for the 23-year-old’s contract, one of Matthew Knies or Nicholas Robertson will been sent down, but will be called up for the playoffs where the cap doesn’t matter.
The Maple Leafs acquired the rights to Webber from the Carolina Hurricanes for a sixth-round pick in 2026 at the trade deadline. He was originally drafted by Carolina in the fourth round of the 2019 NHL Draft.
He fits the mould of recent defenceman acquisitions by Brad Treliving, standing at 6’7” and playing a physical defensive game.
He’s currently on the road in Florida with the team, and finally signed his ELC today.
Who is Cade Webber?
Like I said, the 6’7” defenceman’s game is all about defence.
An assistant captain of Boston University in the NCAA, Webber won best defensive defenceman in Hockey East. He scored six points (all assists) in 38 games.
He finished the year with a +15 rating and 30 penalty minutes. His only goal in his four-year NCAA career came last year, and he scored a total of 16 points in 123 games at BU.
But the point totals don’t matter.
Webber was a plus in all four years in the NCAA and blocked over a shot a game every season as well.
Blocking shots is part of his identity, something he’s improved on every year. He blew by the NCAA Division 1 blocked shots record this season, finishing with 137. To put that into perspective, the previous record was 113. Last year he blocked 95 shots.
It’s no surprise he was used heavily on BU’s penalty kill—an area the Leafs desperately need help.
At 23 years old, he’s more developed than other Leafs prospects and could fight for a roster spot out of training camp next year. That’s his goal.
If not, he should be a mainstay on the Toronto Marlies blueline.
How Webber got here
Webber has played just about everywhere.
Originally from Pennsylvania, he grew up playing for the AAA Pittsburgh Penguins Elite before heading to The Rivers School in Massachusetts and playing there for three years.
He joined the U.S. National U18 Team in 2018–19 but played just seven games.
In 2019–20, he moved to the Penticton Vees of the BCHL and scored two goals and three assists in 23 games.
As a freshman at BU, he only appeared in 14 games but played in over 30 during the next three seasons.
He’s never been a point producer, having to prove his defensive game everywhere he’s gone. But so far, it’s worked. Hopefully, he can bring that type of game to a Leafs blueline that could use the help.
Looking forward
The hope is Webber can have an impact on the Leafs as soon as possible. With a good showing at training camp next year, he could find himself on a defensive pair before touching the AHL.
He’s never going to produce points, but that doesn’t matter. The Leafs have had a putrid penalty kill all year, and if he can help, it would be a big boost.
The Leafs have T.J. Brodie, Ilya Lyubushkin, Mark Giordano, and Joel Edmundson all coming off the books this summer. If he plays well enough, there will be a spot for Webber. Let’s hope his game translates well to the pros.
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