If this sounds familiar, it’s because it is. The Leafs reportedly agreed to a 2x$1.5m contract with Hakanapää on July 1, but the team never officially announced the deal. Speculation about the severity of the knee injury that ended Hakanapää’s 2023-24 campaign was said to be the hangup, as the Leafs presumably reviewed Hakanapää’s medical records. After months of deliberation, the team appears to be comfortable enough with Hakanapää’s health to give him a contract, albeit with one fewer year and slightly fewer dollars than initially reported:
ud83dudd8a We’ve signed defenceman Jani Hakanpää to a one-year contract
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) September 11, 2024
Hakanpaa’s Profile & Potential Fit
The first thing to know about the Finnish defenseman is that he is massive, officially listed on Hockey Reference at 6’6, 225 lbs.