On July 1, multiple insiders reported that the Maple Leafs had agreed to a two-year, $3 million deal with Hakanpaa. However, on July 2, Toronto Sun reporter Steve Simmons revealed that Hakanpaa’s knee injury is severe and sources within the NHL suggested he might never play again.
Following Simmons’ report, other insiders also confirmed the severity of Hakanpaa’s knee injury. Alberga recommends that Toronto should back out of the contract before it becomes official.
“If the Leafs learned anything from the John Klingberg situation last season, it might be best to walk away before finalizing anything. On paper, Hakanpaa could be a valuable addition to bolster the blue line, but the risk might outweigh the reward,” Alberga wrote.
“If there are any doubts, they should withdraw immediately, regardless of the team doctors’ opinions. There’s no need to offer a multi-year contract to someone with significant health issues. At least Klingberg was signed for just one year, and they managed to place him on Robidas Island,” Alberga added.
Alberga also points out that Dallas allowing Hakanpaa to enter free agency without showing interest in re-signing him should have been a warning sign for the Maple Leafs.
Hakanpaa last played on March 16 due to his knee injury. Last season, he appeared in 64 games, scoring 2 goals and 10 assists for a total of 12 points.
Treliving Thought Hakanpaa Would be a Penalty Killer
After reports surfaced that Toronto had signed Hakanpaa to a two-year deal worth $1.5 million per season, Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving expressed his belief that the 6-foot-7 defenseman would be a key penalty killer for the team.
“With Hakanpaa, again a penalty killer. One of the areas we wanted to address was our penalty kill. That’s an area where Jani really excels. You saw that in Dallas over the years, and especially this past season,” Treliving said.
Hakanpaa was selected 104th overall in the 2010 NHL draft by the St. Louis Blues. He never played for the Blues and instead has been with the Anaheim Ducks, Carolina Hurricanes, and Dallas Stars.
Maple Leafs GM Excited About Moves on Defense
Hakanpaa wasn’t the only defense signing by Treliving and the Maple Leafs in free agency.
Before free agency started on July 1, Toronto signed Chris Tanev to a six-year deal to pair with Morgan Reilly. Additionally, they signed Oliver Ekman-Larsson to a four-year, $14 million contract.
“We’ve got a group of defensemen. I’d rather have too many than not enough, and we’ll sort this out in the coming days. Today’s a day to add players, but we build the team over the summer. There are still areas we want to address and improve,” Treliving added.
According to PuckPedia, Toronto currently has just over $955,000 in salary cap space.