After tons of speculation flying everywhere over the last few months, Jani Hakanpaa and the Leafs have finally made the contract official, per an NHL insider.
According to Darren Dreger, an insider in the NHL, the Toronto Maple Leafs are finalizing a deal with free-agent defenseman Jani Hakanpaa.
While reports in July came in that the Leafs had a deal with Jani Hakanpaa after his contract with the Dallas Stars expired, injury concerns at the time held it up. Though the paperwork is still being worked out, TSN’s Chris Johnston was a bit more optimistic on “The Chris Johnston Show,” suggesting both sides feel good regarding their impending partnership.
Chris Johnston provided further details on the contract agreement, saying it is a one-year $1.47 million deal.
It isn’t the first move that has been made by the Leafs to firm up their blue line this summer. They locked in veteran defensemen Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson with multi-year deals. However, Jani Hakanpaa’s reported two-year, $3 million deal, first noted by PuckPedia on July 1, 2024, took some time due to his history of injury. Now, it would appear a deal is finally complete.
This means Jani Hakanpaa is preparing to head off to training camp, a good sign for him and the Leafs. He will be brought along cautiously so as to be fully prepared for the regular season and beyond. The team will get him ready in the best way possible with the playoffs in mind, to ensure he stays healthy.
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