The story of unrestricted free agent Jani Hakanpaa and the Toronto Maple Leafs has been a roller coaster in the 2024 offseason.
Despite reports leading to the discovery that the two parties held a mutual interest when NHL free agency opened on July 1, no contract has materialized as of September 5th.
As what many believed would have been a commendable addition, signing the Finnish defenseman, all anticipation came to a halt when Postmedia’s Steve Simmons reported that there was concern a knee injury suffered in his time with the Dallas Stars was “bone on bone” – a red flag that he may not be able to lace them up again anytime soon.
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Related: ‘I Was Told His Knee Is Bone-On-Bone’: What’s the Story With New Maple Leafs’ NHL Free Agent Acquisition Jani Hakanpaa?
Now a couple of short weeks away from the opening of training camp Hakanpaa remains unsigned. On the latest episode of The Chris Johnston Show, NHL insider Chris Johnston gave a brief update on the rumblings he has heard over his status with the Leafs.
“I’m a little more optimistic,” Johnston told co-host Julian McKenzie. “I mean look, this is the 6-foot-7 mystery man, or the 6-foot-6, whatever you know. He’s hiding in plain sight. But, a very unusual situation. I’ve reached out to the people that would be directly involved in this and don’t have any 100% confirmation, but it feels as though, based on what I’ve been able to piece together, we’re likely to see him at training camp in Toronto.”
Despite this optimism, the situation remains fluid. The lack of an official signing has fueled speculation, but Johnston mentioned that the Leafs could still be open to exploring a deal.
“But again, that hasn’t been confirmed,” Johnston added. “Obviously, the Leafs have a few different situations. I mean, they’ve got the possibility of players coming in on tryouts. Jani Hakanpaa doesn’t formally have his contract, at least as of the time we’re recording this on September 5th. They haven’t signed him to a deal and registered it with the Central Registry of the NHL. But I still think there’s a world that happens.”
General manager Brad Treliving spoke on the situation at Auston Matthews’ captaincy press conference in August, saying, “(We’re) working through that.” The situation still seems to be unraveling, with no clear determination on his status of suiting up in the blue and white.
Related: ‘Working Through That’: Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving Updates the Status of Jani Hakanpaa
Hakanpaa scored two goals and added 10 assists in 64 games with the Stars in 2023-24. After suffering an injury on Mar. 16, he skated with the Stars but did not dress for any action in the club’s run to the Western Conference Finals in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
With training camp just around the corner, Hakanpaa’s name remains in the conversation as a possible defensive option – if he’s healthy enough to play. For now, the saga continues. Will the towering, 6-foot-7 defenseman make his way to Toronto, or will his knee injury continue to be a hurdle that derails this signing? Time will tell.
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