Toronto Maple Leafs urged to ditch veteran blue liner Jani Hakanpaa
The Maple Leafs made some huge defensive additions this off-season, but now one analyst has urged the team to ditch veteran Jani Hakanpaa amid injury concerns.
After struggling all season long defensively, the Toronto Maple Leafs made it their goal to beef up the blue line when the off-season began in 2024. GM Brad Treliving did just that, announcing a two-year extension for Timothy Liljegren while adding Chris Tanev, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Jani Hakanpaa in free agency.
Unfortunately for Toronto, the latter move has yet to become official, despite reports that Toronto inked the former Dallas Stars veteran to a two-year deal worth $4 million. The reason behind that is the injury concerns with Hakanpaa, as there is a belief from some that he may never play in the NHL again due to the knee injuries that have been racked up throughout his career.
Now, one Maple Leafs analyst, Nick Alberga has urged the team to part ways with Hakanpaa while they can, as they would be able to free up space that could allow them to make another move to bolster this blue line.
«Any way you slice it, if the Leafs learned anything from the John Klingberg situation last season, it might be in their best interest to walk away outright before anything is officially signed. On paper, Hakanpaa could prove to be a big-time add to a squad looking to bulk up on the blue line. That said, in this scenario, the risk may outweigh the reward,» Alberga wrote.
«If there are any doubts, they should back off immediately �regardless of what the team doctors have to say. There's no need to dish out a multi-year contract to someone with substantial health concerns. Not for anything, but at least Klingberg came in on a one-year deal. Somehow, some way, they found a way to send him off to Robidas Island,» Alberga added.
«If there are any doubts, they should back off immediately �regardless of what the team doctors have to say. There's no need to dish out a multi-year contract to someone with substantial health concerns. Not for anything, but at least Klingberg came in on a one-year deal. Somehow, some way, they found a way to send him off to Robidas Island,» Alberga added.
From all reports thus far, Toronto don't appear to be as worried about his injuries as others do, but if they can't be confident that he will play significant minutes for this team over the next two years, it's hard to argue with Alberga's assessment of the situation.
Source: Hockey Feed
Analyst says Leafs must ditch Jani Hakanpaa
| POLL | ||
Should the Maple Leafs part ways with veteran Jani Hakanpaa? | ||
| Yes | 62 | 74.7 % |
| No | 21 | 25.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
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