Maple Leafs Analyst Says Team Should "Walk Away" From Hakanpaa

It's been more than two weeks since the Toronto Maple Leafs reportedly signed hulking 6'7" defenseman Jani Hakanpaa to a two-year, $1.5 million AAV contract in free agency. But as noted by PuckPedia, that supposed contract still has not been registered by the Leafs.

The #LeafsForever reported contract for Hakanpaa ($1.5M * 2) has still not been registered.

As a result, we've removed him from our projected Leafs roster for now. You'll still see the contract on his page, but he's not assigned to our Leafs roster.https://t.co/NXXZXAu8VL
— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) July 18, 2024

So what's the hold-up? It's that degenerative condition in his knee, which one report recently suggested is in such bad shape that it was "bone on bone".

But Leafs doctors gave the thumbs up on the signing, despite being aware of the knee issue.

According to analyst Nick Alberga of Leafs Nation, calling the situation a "mini soap opera", he says the team should take heed of a situation they found themselves in last year, and just "walk away."

Any way you slice it, if the Leafs learned anything from the John Klingberg situation last season, it might be in their best interest to walk away outright before anything is officially signed. On paper, Hakanpaa could prove to be a big-time add to a squad looking to bulk up on the blue line. That said, in this scenario, the risk may outweigh the reward. If there are any doubts, they should back off immediately —regardless of what the team doctors have to say.

Hakanpaa, 32, has had three strong seasons on the Dallas Stars' blueline, recording an overall plus/minus of +29, while blocking an average of over 120 shots per each of those three years, while handing out an average of over 220 hits per season. It's definitely something that the Leafs could use in their own end, but is it worth the injury risk?

Klingberg had double-hip surgery earlier in his career, and was signed to a one-year free agent deal last offseason despite some potential questions about his health. He wound up needing season-ending hip surgery after playing just 14 games with Toronto.

The Leafs do not need a repeat of that type of situation this coming season.