On October 2, 2000, after he had 6-goal, 25-point season with the Blackhawks in the 1999–2000 season, McCabe was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Alexander Karpovtsev and a fourth round draft choice (Vladimir Gusev) in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. McCabe had a good 2001–02 season with Toronto, having a 17-goal, 43-point breakout season, as well as, 53 points two seasons later, ending in a fourth-place finish in Norris Trophy voting Second Team All-Star honours.