Toronto Maple Leafs Send Two Players to the AHL Marlies
Photo credit: USA Today Sports
The Toronto Maple Leafs have sent both Jani Hakanpaa and Connor Dewar to an LTIR conditioning loan with the Marlies.
The Toronto Maple Leafs organization's injured players appear to be at last prepared to return to the starting lineup. The team revealed last week that Jani Hakanpaa and Connor Dewar would join the team for the Leafs' two-game road trip, following months of recuperation.
We recently found out that they will be sent to the AHL's Marlies for a stint of LTIR conditioning: As Dewar recuperates from off-season shoulder surgery and Hakanpaa recovers from a knee injury sustained during his time with the Dallas Stars last season, this move is intended to get both players ready for their seasonal debuts.
The return of injured players may result in additional moves for the Maple Leafs, who traded Timothy Liljegren earlier this week, according to Darren Dreger of TSN Hockey Insider on Thursday.
"I would expect that Brad Treliving is either going to have to place another player on waivers, perhaps there's a conditioning stint to the American Hockey League that can be applied, or the idea of a trade, because Toronto right now is locked in with its 23-man roster," Dreger said on Insider Trading. "But beyond that, it was a fresh start for Timothy Liljegren. Right? He wasn't fitting the eye of head coach Craig Berube. So, he gets that start with the San Jose Sharks. The Toronto Maple Leafs get a couple of draft picks, which they need. Matt Benning - a veteran defenceman - who Treliving could also flip and add an additional asset. So, tidy work with depth players."
Last season, defenseman Hakanpaa, scored 12 points in 64 games for the Stars. He is anticipated to bring the same skill set to Toronto, where he will improve the Leafs' blue line's defensive depth and grit. Due to his injury, neither the team nor the NHL confirmed his one-year, $1.47 million contract with the Leafs until the end of the summer, just before training camp began.
Dewar ought to be included in the starting lineup somewhere in the bottom six. The forward scored five points in 17 games with the Maple Leafs and fourteen points in 57 games with the Minnesota Wild last season. He was acquired by the Leafs at the most recent trade deadline from the Wildins in exchange for Dmitry Ovchinnikov and a fourth-round pick in the 2026 draft. He agreed to a one-year, $1.18 million deal in Toronto this summer.
After being off the ice for months, it will be interesting to watch how the two players perform with the Marlies.
| POLL | ||
1 NOVEMBRE | 64 ANSWERS Toronto Maple Leafs Send Two Players to the AHL Marlies Which of these two players will have the biggest impact with the Toronto Maple Leafs? | ||
| Jani Hakanpaa | 38 | 59.4 % |
| Connor Dewar | 26 | 40.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
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