Insider Chris Johnston Makes Concerning Remark About Maple Leafs D Jani Hakanpaa

On Saturday, news broke that towering Finnish defenseman Jani Hakanpaa withdrew from Team Finland ahead of the 4 Nations Faceoff-Off as he has not fully recovered from his recent knee surgery.

Despite the confidence GM Brad Treliving had when signing Hakanpaa that he would play this season, the 32-year-old has only managed to suit up for two games with the Leafs and 2 more with the Marlies.

On Sunday's edition of 'The CJ Show', TSN's Chris Johnston discussed how Hakanpaa's decision to exclude himself from the 4 Nations may also impact his ability to return to the lineup for the Leafs this season.

When it was first reported that Hakanpaa and the Leafs agreed to a two-year deal on July 1st, skeptics immediately called out his troubling knee issues which prevented the contract from being made official.

After eventually coming to terms on a 1-year deal, the Leafs have worked with the 2010 fourth-round pick throughout his recovery, but Hakanpaa has clearly struggled to get back to a sustainable playing level despite skating almost daily for the past month.

For the Leafs, Hakanpaa's ability to get into the lineup may force Treliving to dilute assets he had set aside for a high-priced center and look to acquire a defenseman and cost-effective center instead to provide the Leafs with the defensive depth they need if they hope to go on a lengthy playoff run.