Jani Hakanpaa makes a massive statement about his future with the Maple Leafs
PUBLICATION
Tom Banks
August 4, 2024 (1:25 PM)
The Toronto Maple Leafs thought they had landed three defensive studs in free agency, but now it appears the Jani Hakanpaa signing may not happen.
This off-season has been a crazy one for the NHL, and one of the most overlooked stories of the year has been Jani Hakanpaa, who landed a two-year deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs alongside Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson on the blue line. However, reports quickly emerged that his injury history is worse than expected, with some experts revealing that he may never be able to play at the NHL level again.
Since that point, the team are yet to officially announce the signing, and the latest update to this story is a shocker, as Hakanpaa was seen interacting with fans at an event in public wearing a jersey of his former team, the Dallas Stars.
Maybe over-analyzing, but how often do active NHL players wear the jersey of their former team at events?
I don't think this Hakanpää deal is happening with TOR. It's definitely not done at least.
There's been very little official word on Hakanpaa's situation since the injury news was officially unveiled, and this latest update isn't a great look for Toronto. The deal to bring him to the Maple Leafs was a two-year deal worth $1.5 million, and if they don't intend on going through with the deal, there are several intriguing names out there.
One interesting one for Toronto could be former Brad Treliving draft pick Oliver Kylington, and while that type of talk is seemingly a while away, all signs right now point to Hakanpaa and the Maple Leafs not coming together on a deal after all.
Source: Hockey Feed
Jani Hakanpää drops subtle hint on future with Leafs
POLL |
Will Jani Hakanpaa play with the Maple Leafs in 2024/25? |
Yes | 26 | 21.8 % |
No | 93 | 78.2 % |
List of polls |
|
12 hours ago | By Graham Montgomery Top NHL development league makes massive announcement, shaking up the future of the NHL draft |
|
12 hours ago | By Graham Montgomery Dallas Stars defenseman joins team Canada on emergency basis after injury during Four Nations faceoff |
|
13 hours ago | By Daniel Lucente Mitch Marner Breaks Silence On Intense Face-to-Face with William Nylander At The 4 Nations Tournament |
|
14 hours ago | By Graham Montgomery NHL analyst exposes Canada for lack of goaltending development amid Four Nations tournament |
|
16 hours ago | By Graham Montgomery Former Toronto Maple Leaf and 40 goal scorer officially available for trade |
|
19 hours ago | By Julien Trekker Gary Bettman Makes Surprising Update About CBA Negotiations Amid 4 Nations Face-Off |
|
22 hours ago | By Daniel Lucente Wayne Gretzky Shares Funny Story About Stalking His Idol Guy Lafleur During Team Canada Debut |
|
23 hours ago | By TJ Tucker Nathan MacKinnon Reveals his Thoughts on Bringing 10-minute Overtime Periods to the NHL's Regular Season |
Previously on HouseOfHockey