It looks like the return of defenseman Jani Hakanpää to the ice might be further off than initially hoped.

During Wednesday’s press conference introducing Auston Matthews as the new captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs, general manager Brad Treliving was asked about Hakanpää’s status. His response was more vague than enlightening.

Treliving indicated that they are “working through” Hakanpää’s situation but didn’t offer additional specifics, mentioning that the day’s focus was on the captaincy announcement.

“We’re working through that,” Treliving said. “Today’s focus is on this event, but we hope to address it sooner rather than later.”

That was the extent of Treliving’s disclosure.

There are still many uncertainties regarding the former Dallas Stars defenseman. The Leafs signed the Finnish defenseman to a two-year deal on July 1, worth an average annual value of $1.5 million. This move was part of their effort to strengthen their defense, following trades for Chris Tanev’s rights and the signing of Oliver Ekman-Larsson to a four-year contract.

However, Hakanpää has been sidelined with a knee injury since March, which caused him to miss the Stars’ run to the Western Conference Final. It was expected that he would be ready for training camp, but with less than a month until players report, his return seems uncertain.

If his injury is serious, Toronto might need to place him on long-term injured reserve to free up cap space, as they currently have just $1,275,333 available, according to PuckPedia.

Before the injury, Hakanpää was a dependable defenseman with the Stars, playing 80 or more games each season over the past three years and maintaining a positive plus/minus rating. In the 2023-24 season, he played 64 games, registering two goals and 12 points with a +10 rating.

In 288 career games, including time with the Anaheim Ducks and Carolina Hurricanes, Hakanpää has totaled 15 goals and 45 points, along with four points in three Stanley Cup Playoff appearances.