The Toronto Maple Leafs have re-signed Jake McCabe to a five-year deal at a $4.51 million average annual value (AAV), and I can’t help but question the decision.

It’s not the cost of McCabe’s contract that’s puzzling; it’s the timing. Why do the Leafs feel the need to lock McCabe into a long-term contract during the regular season instead of waiting to see how things unfold?

Currently, the Leafs have committed to four defensemen over 30 for the next four years: Morgan Rielly, who turns 31 in March, Jake McCabe (31), Oliver Ekman-Larsson (33), and Chris Tanev (34), all signed through 2028. By next season, when McCabe’s new contract kicks in, they’ll all be 32 or older.

Do the Leafs believe they have an elite top-four defense core that justifies these long-term contracts? At $20 million annually for the four, it’s a manageable cost, but how long can they realistically expect all of them to remain effective?

Honestly, I’d be less surprised if the Leafs ended up buying out three of these contracts in the coming years rather than all four remaining at peak performance over the long haul.

This contract feels both overly pricey and excessively long for McCabe. I can’t understand why the team is so focused on securing these players, particularly on defense. The Leafs’ defense has been fine this season, yet they’re still allowing an average of 3.11 goals per game, despite top-tier goaltending.

Is it just me, or does it seem like Timothy Liljegren is being overlooked? His $3 million over the next three years feels like a better investment than $4.51 million AAV for a 31-year-old defender.

These types of deals remind me of the old NHL when players would get paid for their past performances toward the end of their careers. But today’s NHL strategy is to sign big-money, long-term deals in your 20s, not in your 30s. The Leafs are choosing to commit long-term to players who are likely to decline over the course of their contracts.

While I don’t dislike McCabe as a player, the length of this deal just doesn’t make sense. He’s a solid No. 3 defenseman, but he’s unlikely to develop beyond that, and the Leafs should be looking to free up John Tavares’s salary next year to secure a true No. 1 defenseman.