Toggle sidebar

Confirmed with Link: Leafs don't sign D Jani Hakanpaa to a 2 years, $1.5M AAV

  • Xenforo Cloud will be upgrading us to version 2.3.5 on March 3rd at 12 AM GMT. This version has increased stability and fixes several bugs. We expect downtime for the duration of the update. The admin team will continue to work on existing issues, templates and upgrade all necessary available addons to minimize impact of this new version. Click Here for Updates
Status
Not open for further replies.
DarkKnight said:
I love how we always just pencil in Lil, the guy who three playoffs in a row has lost his spot. Ringer.
Click to expand...
You still trusting in Keefe's player judgements after all the great decisions he has made here, eh? Let's see how Berube manages him and his playing time/ partners instead of crying about him being benched in the playoffs by a guy who was routinely out-coached.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Lauro and Leafidelity
LeafsOHLRangers98 said:
He's a better player than Hakanpaa so yes I will pencil him in for now. Needs to play as he did before his injury last year.
Click to expand...
Liljegren is certainly far more talented (long before he was drafted he was touted as a possible 1st overall pick) than Hakanpaa, but that talent is still untapped. Hakanpaa on the other hand is a late bloomer who is situationally effective as a defensive defenseman. The guy literally starts 8 out of every 10 shifts in his own zone, hits every thing that moves, not lightly either, and draws very few penalties doing so. I can see why Berube would be interested in him.
 
crump said:
Yes his decision to be injured for half the season was a bad choice on his part. I see what you’re saying.
Click to expand...

The best ability is availability, if you aren't available I don't want you, especially if you are a fringe player.

We can find somebody else to do what Timmins does for cheaper.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gilmour1996
LEAFANFORLIFE23 said:
The best ability is availability, if you aren't available I don't want you, especially if you are a fringe player.

We can find somebody else to do what Timmins does for cheaper.
Click to expand...


Fully agreed. I have no time for players with physical and mental issues. Injury-prone players or players that take "take time away for mental health" should have their contracts torn up in front of their faces.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: namttebih
TMLBlueandWhite said:
You really don't think a team would request a player's medical records beforw signing him?



I don't understamd why they felt the need to rush into sign him to begin with given his medical history.

Why wait a year, paying him $1.5M on LTIR to not play, instead of rushing to sign him. They could have just as easily signed someone healrhy who would be ready to start the year. Wait until Hakanpaa was ready to go and then sign him to a one year show me deal.

Signing a guy to a two ywar deal because you are worried you aren't gonna get the first year out of him doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.



To me it looks lime he's taking a shot in the dark on a player with very limited upside.
Click to expand...

Hakinpaa is an elite penalty killer and punishing hitter who is very effective at clearing the front of the net. That was a key missing piece for this team last season.

He was just named to the Finnish National team in the upcoming 4 nations tournament.

Is there risk in the signing? Quite frankly no. They can void the contract if he fails a physical or declared unfit to play before the start of the season.

The cost benefit ratio here is very positive.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CincoHolio and shaner8989
MilkofthePoppy said:
Fully agreed. I have no time for players with physical and mental issues. Injury-prone players or players that take "take time away for mental health" should have their contracts torn up in front of their faces.
Click to expand...

Players with mental issues shouldn’t come to high pressure markets like Toronto for their own well-being, that’s pretty obvious. Guys like Samsonov and Campbell had some admirable stretches where they fought against adversity but ultimately significantly shortened their careers by playing here. They’d be playing well into their late 30s if they stuck to small market teams with no media pressure or playoff expectations but instead they’ll both likely be out of the league in their early 30s, and that’s to say nothing of what kind of damage the market did to their personal lives.
 
MilkofthePoppy said:
Fully agreed. I have no time for players with physical and mental issues. Injury-prone players or players that take "take time away for mental health" should have their contracts torn up in front of their faces.
Click to expand...


No one said anything about voiding his contract, although in some cases yeah they deserve that, case in point Nuke in Colorado, you know It's bad when even his teammates have had enough.

But Timmins doesn't deserve that, He should still get paid, just trade him if you can, and if you can't send him to the minors.

Just get his cap hit off the team he's not needed.

Even if he were healthy he wouldn't be needed because even if Hakanpaa can't play and his contract is voided there are still AT LEAST 6 guys ahead of Timmins
 
LEAFANFORLIFE23 said:
No one said anything about voiding his contract, although in some cases yeah they deserve that, case in point Nuke in Colorado, you know It's bad when even his teammates have had enough.

But Timmins doesn't deserve that, He should still get paid, just trade him if you can, and if you can't send him to the minors.

Just get his cap hit off the team he's not needed.

Even if he were healthy he wouldn't be needed because even if Hakanpaa can't play and his contract is voided there are still AT LEAST 6 guys ahead of Timmins
Click to expand...
The Timmins contract is of zero concern. If we waive him and he gets claimed, he is gone. If we doesn't then we can bury teh whole thing on the Marlies.

He is intriguing though, if he could stay healthy and develop a bit we would benefit from a big RD, PP addition. He really has to show health and growth the be a factor though.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ACC1224
Hellcat said:
They gave him $6 mil to retain a low end asset at a tradeable cap hit, he will not finish the season with the Leafs.
Click to expand...
Recall as well just before he signed, word was leaking out the Leafs weren’t happy with him. Let’s keep it real, if he wasn’t right handed, he wasn’t even in the mix last year. He was a disaster in the playoffs, I see the signing as hedging their bets, and I have no doubt he’s trade fodder if we add more to the backend. Three straight playoffs he has either been left out or awful, he okayed his best hockey two seasons ago, pencilling this guy, to me he’s less a Berube guy than a Keefe guy. Hopefully he finds consistency, but his hockey IQ under duress isn’t NHL caliber, at least for a team with aspirations.
 
  • Like
Reactions: banks, CincoHolio and Hellcat
RoadWarrior said:
Hakinpaa is an elite penalty killer and punishing hitter who is very effective at clearing the front of the net. That was a key missing piece for this team last season.

He was just named to the Finnish National team in the upcoming 4 nations tournament.

Is there risk in the signing? Quite frankly no. They can void the contract if he fails a physical or declared unfit to play before the start of the season.

The cost benefit ratio here is very positive.
Click to expand...
Even if he sits on LTIR until December recovering from his knee injury.

Leafs don't really need him for the regular season, but they would love him for the playoffs, and by signing now and sitting him being patient, its like making a TDL move later that would have costed assets (picks and prospects) but now free.

The fact that they have not yet filed it officially means they can see and re-evaluate the situation in a few months time and worst case simply void the contract on a failed physical, where his NHL career might be over.
 
Hellcat said:
They gave him $6 mil to retain a low end asset at a tradeable cap hit, he will not finish the season with the Leafs.
Click to expand...

I think they would have let him walk and spend the caphit in free agency on other D men if that was the plan. Or would have traded his rights. I don't seem them locking a guy into a multi year deal that they're borderline being done with.

Personally, I had assumed he was heading out the door, but imo I think management has had a change of heart on the guy based on their actions
 
Menzinger said:
I think they would have let him walk and spend the caphit in free agency on other D men if that was the plan. Or would have traded his rights. I don't seem them locking a guy into a multi year deal that they're borderline being done with.

Personally, I had assumed he was heading out the door, but imo I think management has had a change of heart on the guy based on their actions
Click to expand...
He does still make a good trade chip however in trade, now under contract for a couple years.

If something better or bigger deal came along I wouldn't be surprised if Lilly was going the other way personally.
 
You guys convinced me.

Giving out two year deals with a $1.5M AAV to a bottom pairing (some say 7th) defenseman who may never play again is a great idea. Can you imagine how much Treliving would have given this guy if he was healthy. I'm surprised no other GM's are taking advantage of this market inefficiency.

This is the type of progressive innovation the Leafs are famous for.
 
Hakanpaa had played 3 fully healthy seasons before this year where he missed time due to injury.

He makes 1.5M per for 2 years. Most of that can be buried if they need room. I had him one spot behind Zadorov on my FA list. Zadorov got 5M per for 6 years, Hakanpaa got 1.5M per for 2 years. Some smooth business there after the expensive contracts OEL and Tanev got.
 
  • Like
Reactions: The Iceman and thewave
Mess said:
Even if he sits on LTIR until December recovering from his knee injury.

Leafs don't really need him for the regular season, but they would love him for the playoffs, and by signing now and sitting him being patient, its like making a TDL move later that would have costed assets (picks and prospects) but now free.

The fact that they have not yet filed it officially means they can see and re-evaluate the situation in a few months time and worst case simply void the contract on a failed physical, where his NHL career might be over.
Click to expand...

I'm sure both team and player are okay with the situation.

Hakanpaa will play if healthy and it will be with Leafs.

If he isn't healthy, and is done it's done.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mess and Namikaze Minato
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest posts

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Top Bottom