It appears like a defenseman’s return to the ice may still be some time off.
Inquiries concerning the condition of recently acquired defenseman Jani Hakanpää were directed at general manager Brad Trievling during the news conference on Wednesday, which marked the unveiling of Auston Matthews as the new captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs. The answer was less illuminating and more hazy.
Brad Treliving stated that they are “working through” the Hakanpaa matter, but he did not elaborate, stating that the topic of the day is unrelated.
On August 14, 2024, David Alter (@dalter) said
“We’re addressing that,” Treliving stated. “We’re dealing with this today, but hopefully we’ll get to that sooner rather than later.”
Regretfully, Trieliving would not elaborate further on the subject.
Undoubtedly, a lot of unanswered concerns remain around the former defenseman for the Dallas Stars. On July 1st, the Maple Leafs acquired the Finnish blueliner for an AAV of $1.5 million on a two-year contract. Given that the Leafs were primarily focused on bolstering their defensive corps this offseason by dealing for Chris Tanev’s rights and inking free agent Oliver Ekman-Larsson to a four-year contract, it appeared to be a rather interesting move.
But Hakanpää had a medical condition when he joined the team. He missed the Stars’ trip to the Western Conference Final due to a knee ailment, which has kept him out of the starting lineup since March. It’s reasonable to assume that the Leafs thought Hakanpää would be fully recovered by training camp. However, he appears to be no closer to playing again than he was when he signed with the Leafs, sitting one month ahead of the players’ official reporting deadline.
Toronto may decide to use their prerogative to place Hakanpää on long-term injured reserve if his ailment is serious. According to PuckPedia, the Leafs have just $1,275,333 in cap space, so they could definitely use the space.
Hakanpää made a name for himself as one of the Dallas team’s most dependable blueliners prior to the injury. He played 80 games or more in three seasons with the Stars, and during his NHL career, he has maintained a positive plus/minus. Hakanpää retreated in 2023–24, appearing in only 64 games and totaling two goals, 12 points, and a +10 rating.
The former Kärpät product has scored 45 points and 15 goals in 288 career games, including three Stanley Cup Playoff appearances while with the Anaheim Ducks and Carolina Hurricanes.
First published on Daily Faceoff, this piece
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