Major development regarding defenseman Jani Hakanpaa has Leafs fans excited
Photo credit: jatkoaika.com
The 2024 offseason has been quite the roller coaster for the Toronto Maple Leafs and unrestricted free agent Jani Hakanpaa.
Jani Hakanpaa was signed by the Toronto Maple Leafs during the off-season, but his future has been cast in doubt due to injury.
The Toronto Maple Leafs put a lot of effort into bolstering their blue line this off-season, and Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson appear to be key starters going forward. Jani Hakanpaa, who was also signed early in the off-season, is the wild card of the whole affair; nobody really knows what was going on in Toronto, and his playing future was a mystery.
Now, for the first time in a long time, there has been a significant update. TSN's Chris Johnston has revealed that there is hope for Hakanpaa in Toronto and that there is a good chance he will show up for training camp.
«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.»
Even with this hope, things could change at any time. Johnston stated that the Leafs might still be interested in exploring a deal, despite the rumors being stoked by the lack of an official signing.
«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.»
Hakanpaa played 64 games with the Stars in 2023-24, tallying two goals and ten assists. He skated with the Stars following his injury on March 16 but did not suit up for the team's run to the Stanley Cup Playoffs Western Conference Finals.
Fans of the Maple Leafs will have to wait patiently and with hope as nothing has been confirmed yet. However, it is encouraging that this is the first update to surface since we haven't heard anything in a while.
Source: Hockey Patrol
Major update on defenseman Jani Hakanpaa has Leafs fans buzzing
Major update on defenseman Jani Hakanpaa has Leafs fans buzzing
Source: The Hockey Writers
Jani Hakanpaa Reportedly Remains a Possibility to Join the Maple Leafs
Jani Hakanpaa Reportedly Remains a Possibility to Join the Maple Leafs
| POLL | ||
6 SEPTEMBRE | 138 ANSWERS Major development regarding defenseman Jani Hakanpaa has Leafs fans excited Do you think Jani Hakanpaa will play with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2024/25? | ||
| Yes | 68 | 49.3 % |
| No | 70 | 50.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
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