Maple Leafs Coach Craig Berube Provides Frustrating Update on Jani Hakanpaa
Jani Hakanpaa was back on the ice for the Maple Leafs on Saturday, but Craig Berube's update on the oft-injured defenseman only leads to more frustration.
While the Toronto Maple Leafs await the return of captainAuston Matthews from injury, another player took to the ice today for the first time since having a procedure done on his knee.
Jani Hakanpaa, who has played just two games with the Leafs this season, was spotted taking shots in Toronto in a grey jersey in what many hoped was a sign that his return was coming soon.
Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case. Leafs coach Craig Berube told reporters ahead of a game against the Washington Capitals that there is still no timetable for Hakanpaa's return.
Hakanpaa, who signed a one-year, $1.47 million deal with Toronto in September returned from an injury, which he suffered back in March, only briefly before landing back on IR.
The 6-foot-7 defenseman participated in two games before it was announced he was undergoing what Berube called a "little procedure" on his knee to clean some things up.
After ruining Todd McLellan's debut as the new head coach of the Detroit Red Wings with a 5-2 last night, the Toronto Maple Leafs take on the Washington Capitals tonight.
While Auston Matthews remains out of the lineup, Alex Ovechkin is set to make his return to the Caps lineup for the first time in 16 games after suffering a fractured fibula.
The hope is that Hakanpaa can work his way back from his injury in time to help bolster the Leafs' defense for the playoffs. However, given his clear durability issues, fans are quickly beginning to lose faith in the Finnish defender being healthy enough to be a reliable option on the back end.
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