Report: Jani Hakanpaa As A Maple Leafs D-Man Is "Not Dead" Yet

The Toronto Maple Leafs supposedly agreed to terms with towering UFA defenseman Jani Hakanpaa on July 1st. But as every Leafs fan knows, that contract has not been registered with the league as of yet. Medical issues with a degenerative knee problem (some have said it's "bone on bone") are supposedly throwing a wrench into the proceedings.

But we get a new report on Thursday from insider Chris Johnson of The Athletic, who claimed on his Chris Johnson Show podcast that seeing Hakanpaa in the Blue & White is still a very real possibility.

I've reached out to the people that would be directly involved in this... and it feels as though, based on what I've been able to piece together, we're likely to be able to see him in training camp in Toronto.

There is no formal contract as of Thursday, and Johnson said recently that it was never actually signed, but the "agreement" was said to be a two-year deal with a $1.5 million AAV.

The hold-up has been concern about a knee injury that ended his season in March. But while Hakanpaa thinks he can play, the Leafs might have gotten some medical opinions that are casting doubt on that, said Johnson. It's interesting to note that Hakanpaa did skate with the Dallas Stars in practice during the latter stages of its playoff run to the Western Conference final in May. He did not, however, play in any playoff games.

Johnson says he now feels, after doing his due diligence, that what could happen is that the big d-man shows up to camp and participates, to show the team that he can, indeed, play. Johnson has been "cautioned not to conclude that it isn't going to happen just because it hasn't happened (yet).

"I still think this is on. I don't think it's dead. I think he's still part of the team's plans... But stay tuned."

Hakanpaa would be a huge addition to the Leafs blueline, pun intended. The 6'7" right-shot D registered a plus/minus rating of +10 in 64 games last season in Dallas, while blocking 123 shots and delivering 197 hits. He'd topped the 220 mark in body blows each of the previous two seasons.