Photo credit: Yard Barker
Only weeks after signing NHL defenseman Jani Hakanpaa, it appears the Toronto Maple Leafs may have lost their rights to him.
Brad Treliving, the Leafs' GM, seems to have a habit of acquiring injured defensemen from the Dallas Stars. Last year, he signed John Klingberg, who was placed on long-term injured reserve due to a hip injury.
"The Toronto Maple Leafs have placed defenseman John Klingberg on long-term injured reserve as he deals with an ailing hip injury.
Klingberg had double hip replacement surgery in 2018 and it appears to be a lingering issue #LeafsForever"
Klingberg had double hip replacement surgery in 2018 and it appears to be a lingering issue #LeafsForever"
This year, the Leafs picked up two more defensemen from the Stars. The first was Chris Tanev, followed by the injured Jani Hakanpaa, who agreed to a 2-year, $3 million contract.
"The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed 6'7» defenseman Jani Hakanpaa to a 2-year, $1.5M AAV contract."
However, just three weeks after the deal, it appears history may be repeating itself. According to PuckPedia, Hakanpaa has been removed from the Leafs' roster as his contract has not been registered, likely due to failing physical and medical clearances.
"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."
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."
While it's still possible for Hakanpaa to pass clearance eventually, this situation doesn't look good for Toronto. If he cannot pass soon, the Leafs will need to quickly find a replacement. If not, this could lead to another challenging season for the team.
Source: Maple Leafs Daily
Jani Hakanpaa officially removed from Maple Leafs' PuckPedia page
Jani Hakanpaa officially removed from Maple Leafs' PuckPedia page
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