Maple Leafs Sign Former Stars Defenseman

After months of uncertainty, the Toronto Maple Leafs have officially added veteran blue-liner Jani Hakanpaa.

Jon Alfano | Sep 11, 2024

Jan 13, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Dallas Stars defenseman Jani Hakanpaa (2) skates against the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images / Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images

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Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed free agent defenseman Jani Hakanpaa to a one-year deal worth $1.47 million, Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic reports.

If that sounds familiar, then there's a very good reason why. On the first day of free agency, Hakanpaa reportedly signed a two-year deal worth $3 million ($1.5 million AAV) with Toronto, but later reports revealed he never officially signed due to a lingering knee issue. Some even doubted that he would actually join the Maple Leafs due to the severity of the injury.

“From what I gather is going on here, Hakanpaa did finish last season with a very significant knee injury in Dallas," Johnston said on "The Chris Johnston Show" on Aug. 15. He believes he can play on his knee. But I don’t know that there’s unanimity in that opinion from those that are looking at his medical file and just concerns that, essentially, he’s got bone-on-bone. It’s not a situation that could be terribly comfortable."

“What’s interesting about medical-related issues is some players do manage to play through certain things that others can’t. Everybody’s bodies are different, pain tolerance, what have you. The X-rays themselves are black and white but sometimes what they tell you, the information isn’t black and white.”

Now, though, it seems Hakanpaa is healthy enough to officially sign, even if it's only a one-year deal instead of two.

A fourth-round pick by the St. Louis Blues in 2010, Hakanpaa didn't make his NHL debut until 2020 with the Anaheim Ducks. He spent the past three season - and by extension, most of his NHL career - with the Dallas Stars, recording 12 goals and 40 points in 226 games. He also recorded 668 hits and 363 hits in that time, which is more what the 6-7, 225-pound defenseman is there to do.

The Finnish blue-liner last played on March 16, and did not appear during the Stars' run to the Western Conference Final.

When healthy, Hakanpaa should be a nice defensive presence for a Maple Leafs team that could certainly use it.

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Published Sep 11, 2024

JON ALFANO