Additional news surfaces about new Leafs defenseman Jani Hakanpaa
Reports surfaced yesterday that new Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jani Hakanpaa has some severe knee issues that may prevent him from ever playing again.
Hakanpaa, 32, signed a two-year deal with the Leafs on July 1st that will carry a cap hit of $1.5M per season. The 6'7, 220-pound right-shot blueliner is as physical as they come and is an excellent penalty killer, which is an area that Leafs GM Brad Treliving wanted to address this off-season.
On the 'Real Kyper and Bourne' show yesterday, Nick Kypreos dove further into the reports of Hakanpaa's knee issues and provided more insight, including the fact that Dallas was willing to pay Ilya Lyubushkin double Hakanpaa's salary to replace him because of their concerns about it.
The Hockey News' David Alter also pointed out that the Leafs haven't formally announced Hakanpaa's signing yet and he does not appear on their current roster on their website, while Dakota Mermis, who was signed yesterday, does.
The Leafs did something similar last season when they signed another former Dallas Stars defenseman in John Klingberg to a 1-year deal worth $4.15M. That deal was of significantly more concern given the known health issues Klingberg had faced in his career and he ultimately ended up on LTIR for the season and underwent hip surgery.
It will be something to keep a close eye on to see how the rest of the off-season unfolds and whether or not the Leafs provide more clarity on Hakanpaa's injury and status.
Source: The Hockey News What's the word with new defenseman Jani Hakpanaa's knee injury
| POLL | ||
3 JUILLET | 589 ANSWERS Additional news surfaces about new Leafs defenseman Jani Hakanpaa Will Hakanpaa play this season? | ||
| Yes | 334 | 56.7 % |
| No | 130 | 22.1 % |
| He's Klingberg 2.0 | 125 | 21.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
