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

[keonsbitterness]

It's been over two weeks since he was allegedly signed, and crickets from any of the "major" insiders or the team. Strange situation.

Longest physical ever!

 

[Obo]

Longest physical ever!

He's going to be really tired.

 

[Mess]

Hakanpaa underwent knee surgery late last season and has been rehabbing since. While the Leafs agreed to a contract with the 6'7 blueliner based on the medical reports from the Stars, but as TSN's Chris Johnston reported, the Leafs are waiting for Hakanpaa to pass a physical/medical with their staff..

 

[seanlinden]

They probably could have let him walk and just have gone full throttle after Roy with the cap flexibility. Get your guy and just chalk it up to a Lily for Roy trade.

Why let Liljegren walk if you didn't need to?

Based on the rumours of us apparently being in on Roy, but him going elsewhere, it seems likely the plan was simple...

Sign Lily, pay him the biggest bonus you could... if you can get Roy, ship Lily off for picks/prospects/maybe a more complicated deal for some help up front.

You didn't get Roy, so you're going to have to take more of a "by comittee" approach, so go and sign OEL.

 

[notbias]

View attachment 895780

Hakanpaa underwent knee surgery late last season and has been rehabbing since. While the Leafs agreed to a contract with the 6'7 blueliner based on the medical reports from the Stars, but as TSN's Chris Johnston reported, the Leafs are waiting for Hakanpaa to pass a physical/medical with their staff..

You've been so excited about how much bigger and more physical the D got this year, and now because of one player, it looks like i has gotten smaller and less physical.

Opinion on the new D now.

Are they still "bigger and meaner"?

 

[-DeMo-]

Why let Liljegren walk if you didn't need to?

Based on the rumours of us apparently being in on Roy, but him going elsewhere, it seems likely the plan was simple...

Sign Lily, pay him the biggest bonus you could... if you can get Roy, ship Lily off for picks/prospects/maybe a more complicated deal for some help up front.

You didn't get Roy, so you're going to have to take more of a "by comittee" approach, so go and sign OEL.

if we got Roy we wouldn't have signed OEL and therefore would have kept Liljegren, OEL in this situation if true would have been plan B or C, as apparently there were talks with Montour as well.

why would you sell 25 year old Dmen only to sign a 33 year old, one still has potential for growth while the other is basically trying to hold on to his level, and really would expect a decline over this four year deal.

 

[seanlinden]

if we got Roy we wouldn't have signed OEL and therefore would have kept Liljegren, OEL in this situation if true would have been plan B or C, as apparently there were talks with Montour as well.

why would you sell 25 year old Dmen only to sign a 33 year old, one still has potential for growth while the other is basically trying to hold on to his level, and really would expect a decline over this four year deal.

If we did get Roy, it would have likely been at the cost of both OEL and Liljegren as the cap hit was obviously going to be over $5m. They'd have likely traded Liljegren immediately, and obviously not signed OEL.

 

[Kurtz]

You've been so excited about how much bigger and more physical the D got this year, and now because of one player, it looks like i has gotten smaller and less physical.

Opinion on the new D now.

Are they still "bigger and meaner"?

They're bigger and meaner than the 6 we started last season with (Tanev+OEL are more physical than Klinberg+Brodie) but not the 6 we ended with (-Edmund, Bush). OEL doesn't throw his body as much as he used to, but he's still a physical guy, and off course Tanev is a warrior. Benoit is one of the most physical dmen in the league, and Mccabe is not that far behind.

So I think overall we're pretty good on physicality from the back-end, although obviously with Hank we'd be next level in that regard.

 

[WTFMAN99]

They're bigger and meaner than the 6 we started last season with (Tanev+OEL are more physical than Klinberg+Brodie) but not the 6 we ended with (-Edmund, Bush). OEL doesn't throw his body as much as he used to, but he's still a physical guy, and off course Tanev is a warrior. Benoit is one of the most physical dmen in the league, and Mccabe is not that far behind.

So I think overall we're pretty good on physicality from the back-end, although obviously with Hank we'd be next level in that regard.

Hakanpaa isn't that far off what Zadorov is, if at all.

Zadorov's agent is really good.

 

[-DeMo-]

If we did get Roy, it would have likely been at the cost of both OEL and Liljegren as the cap hit was obviously going to be over $5m. They'd have likely traded Liljegren immediately, and obviously not signed OEL.

they probably knew they were out of the race for Roy before they Signed Domi. either that or went with a league minimum goalie instead of Stolarz

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

My Internet has been out the last 10 days has this been resolved?

 

[ULF_55]

My Internet has been out the last 10 days has this been resolved?

Your internet has a better doctor.

In short, not that we know of.

 

[Kurtz]

The solution for this seems quite straight-forward. Re-do his contract to an amount that is fully buried when sent down (about $1.2mil I think?), then send him down and let him rehab as long as he wants. If he can't go, he just pockets the $ like Klinberg, and no one gets hurt.

 

[sxvnert]

Its likely Hakanpaa needed surgery this year so the leafs signed him to 2yrs and could have LTIR'd him the entire upcoming season. Simmonds blew the whistle and now the league would never allow the potential embarrassment.

 

[darrylsittler27]

if we got Roy we wouldn't have signed OEL and therefore would have kept Liljegren, OEL in this situation if true would have been plan B or C, as apparently there were talks with Montour as well.

why would you sell 25 year old Dmen only to sign a 33 year old, one still has potential for growth while the other is basically trying to hold on to his level, and really would expect a decline over this four year deal.

Oel has value even if we trade him in 2 seasons. He is a good bet to fill in while we hunt for younger guys. A lot of good guys went elsewhere.

 

[The Shrike]

Its likely Hakanpaa needed surgery this year so the leafs signed him to 2yrs and could have LTIR'd him the entire upcoming season. Simmonds blew the whistle and now the league would never allow the potential embarrassment.

He had arthroscopic surgery on his knee last month.

 

[Stephen]

Its likely Hakanpaa needed surgery this year so the leafs signed him to 2yrs and could have LTIR'd him the entire upcoming season. Simmonds blew the whistle and now the league would never allow the potential embarrassment.

The league shouldn't be putting their thumbs on the scale when it comes to a guy signing a real world contract that has real implication on their family. Maybe instead of trying to close loopholes and make their hard cap system suffocate every ounce of enjoyment from the game they could think about working harder to grow HRR. Novel thought.

 

[Leaf Fans]

Its likely Hakanpaa needed surgery this year so the leafs signed him to 2yrs and could have LTIR'd him the entire upcoming season. Simmonds blew the whistle and now the league would never allow the potential embarrassment.

Simmons blowing the whistle on Nil passing off damaged goods rather than any action from the Leafs.
Though both ideas are far fetched,

https://x.com/i/web/status/1804228867285999704

 

[Ianturnedbull]

Some leaf fans are afraid of this signing.

Don't be afraid.

 

[Leaf Rocket]

Some leaf fans are afraid of this signing.

Don't be afraid.

 

[Ianturnedbull]

 

[darrylsittler27]

They're bigger and meaner than the 6 we started last season with (Tanev+OEL are more physical than Klinberg+Brodie) but not the 6 we ended with (-Edmund, Bush). OEL doesn't throw his body as much as he used to, but he's still a physical guy, and off course Tanev is a warrior. Benoit is one of the most physical dmen in the league, and Mccabe is not that far behind.

So I think overall we're pretty good on physicality from the back-end, although obviously with Hank we'd be next level in that regard.

We see that you can add those Schenn,Edmundson,Boosh guys every year at TD and we have Floridas second rounder. Our defense is more than adequate for the reg season when its much more mild and open. There is no need to worry because if this guy cant play by TD, we go to market.It was a needed gamble.

 

[Menzinger]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1819788657936470076

Don't necessarily put him in the lineup just yet

 

[Stephen]

We see that you can add those Schenn,Edmundson,Boosh guys every year at TD and we have Floridas second rounder. Our defense is more than adequate for the reg season when its much more mild and open. There is no need to worry because if this guy cant play by TD, we go to market.It was a needed gamble.

I think of the Hakanpaa deal as the prepper’s pre-deadline acquisition. If his player type costs a 3rd round pick, we save on the cost and put it towards another roster need. Then activate him fresh off LTIR for the playoffs. You’ve then addressed a need without dipping into futures.

 

[Menzinger]

I think of the Hakanpaa deal as the prepper’s pre-deadline acquisition. If his player type costs a 3rd round pick, we save on the cost and put it towards another roster need. Then activate him fresh off LTIR for the playoffs. You’ve then addressed a need without dipping into futures.

That and I think the team sees him as a long term project. Me may not be able to contribute this year. Maybe later into the season or even the fall of 2025 considering the rumored deal is for 2 years (if it ever goes through of course)