According to Chris Johnston, free-agent defenseman Jani Hakanpaa believes he can suit up for the 2024-25 season.
Hakanpaa missed the last month of the 2023-24 season due to a knee injury. He was in talks with the Toronto Maple Leafs the first day of free agency, reportedly agreeing to a two-year, $1.5-million AAV contract, and yet six weeks later, the contract isn’t finalized. Johnston explained what he knew of the situation via the The Chris Johnston Show.
“From what I gather is going on here, Hakanpaa did finish last season with a very significant knee injury in Dallas. 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.”
“We’ll see if he gets a contract, I don’t know which way it’s going to go,” Johnston said. “Obviously there is concern there.”
Hakanpaa, 32, is a towering presence at 6-foot-7 appeared in 64 games with the Stars last season, recording 12 points. Known for his size and stay-at-home style, Hakanpaa landed 196 hits and blocked 123 shots. He’s collected an impressive 898 hits and 453 blocks in only 288 career games, including making his debut with the Anaheim Ducks in 2019-20, and enjoying a stop with the Carolina Hurricanes, before spending the past three seasons in Dallas.
Hakanpaa was a regular on the penalty kill in Dallas and would certainly give the Maple Leafs another depth option on their blue line should general manager Brad Treliving open up to finalizing the contract, despite what the medical records are saying.
When asked about the latest on the contract at a recent press conference, Treliving didn’t want to get into too much detail because it was Auston Matthews’ day, however did confirm the team is ‘working through it’. The Maple Leafs have $1.27 million in cap space with roughly five weeks until training camps open and two NHL contract slots remaining. Treliving is also working through Nick Robertson’s trade request from earlier this offseason.
As for Hakanpaa, the native of Kirkkonummi, Finland entered free agency coming off a three-year, $1.5-million AAV contract with the Stars. He missed only two regular season games the first two years of his deal.
