Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube Shares Some Exciting Jani Hakanpaa News
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Photo credit: Jamie Sabau - USA Today Sports
Following day 3 of Maple Leafs training camp, head coach Craig Berube provided fans with a highly anticipated update regarding defenseman Jani Hakanpaa.
Among their myriad of moves on the first of July, the Toronto Maple Leafs continued to bolster their back-end by reportedly signing Hakanpaa to a 2-year deal worth $1.5 million per season. The hulking Fin was expected to be a defensive mainstay to round out the top-6, however a knee injury kept his inclusion on the club in the dark until very recently, his deal actually coming in at $1.47M for just one season.
In Nick Barden's most recent article on The Hockey News, Leafs' head coach Craig Berube spoke up about Hakanpaa and his potential on being a full participant in training camp next week:
"He's getting better. He's actually doing well," Berube said on Saturday. "I talk to him daily about his situation and how he's feeling and where he's at. He's getting better. I think it's close. Hopefully next week he'll be in the group there with us."
There was a lot of mystery around his signing and the possibility that the injury was going to keep him sidelined - and without a contract - however, things appear to be looking up and Hakanpaa himself addressed how he was feeling at a most recent charity golf event:
"It feels great. It's one of the clubs with great history and all that, so I'm really excited to be a part of it," Hakanpaa said at the Leafs and Legends Charity Golf Tournament on Monday how he's feeling ahead of camp.
"[I'm] looking forward to being a Leaf and getting out there, playing with the guys, and I've been lucky enough to spend a few days here, meeting with the guys, and it seems like a really great group of guys."
"[I'm] looking forward to being a Leaf and getting out there, playing with the guys, and I've been lucky enough to spend a few days here, meeting with the guys, and it seems like a really great group of guys."
Hakanpaa's 2023-24 season with the Dallas Stars ended abruptly in March due to a knee injury but he's hopeful that he can return relatively soon and get some important reps in during the Maple Leafs training camp and subsequent pre-season games:
"In my mind, it's been clear that I'm going to get back. And the team I had around me back home in Finland had the same thoughts. I think that was the biggest key, to just have people around me that trusted as well," Hakanpaa said.
"Obviously, it's a little bit of a rollercoaster. There's good days, bad days. But I think that underlying trust of, 'It's going to happen eventually,' has always been there."
"Obviously, it's a little bit of a rollercoaster. There's good days, bad days. But I think that underlying trust of, 'It's going to happen eventually,' has always been there."
It's fantastic news that both player and head coach have expressed their optimism about his participation ahead of training camp. After a lengthy and gruelling road to recovery from injury, Hakanpaa looks poised to be a menacing force on the back-end after averaging over 18 minutes of ice time and accumulating 668 hits and 363 blocked shots in 226 games over the last 3 seasons for the Stars.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 21 | 1103 ANSWERS Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube Shares Some Exciting Jani Hakanpaa News In terms of importance, on-ice value, and contract, who was the best signing this off-season? | ||
| Chris Tanev | 662 | 60 % |
| Oliver Ekman-Larsson | 107 | 9.7 % |
| Jani Hakanpaa | 66 | 6 % |
| Anthony Stolarz | 268 | 24.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
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