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

[Maple Leaf]

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.

Roy sounds interesting but it takes two to tango if you catch my drifts

 

[Dekes For Days]

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.

What you've actually done in that case, all for a depth player similar to what we already have, is unnecessarily put the team into LTIR for the full season (making other additions more difficult), and thrust a player coming off major injury that hasn't played in over a year into the most difficult and meaningful games of the season, with a different coach and team, while risking the team being put in a horrible position if he's ready earlier.

 

[Enniskillen]

I am sure deke would sing a different tune if Dubas made that trade.

 

[notbias]

I am sure deke would sing a different tune if Dubas made that trade.

The signing is honestly just pointless with Benoit... one of them is the 7th D.

I think I'd rather Benoit too, just better mobility, and assuming more so now because of the surgery.

I think it is a redundant signing.

If it was 500k less, I'd have less of an issue, it just seems weird as a 7D to waste so much cap.

I also think we have a handful of D who I wouldn't mind getting a look at if we had injuries (Rifai, Timmins, or anyone else who takes a step this year).

It's not the end of the world if we are spending a lot on a 7th D, but also our 8th D is expensive and our 13th forward (hopefully Reaves) is as well.

We are spending a lot on the bottom of the lineup.

 

[Dekes For Days]

I am sure deke would sing a different tune if Dubas made that trade.

It's a signing, not a trade, and my positions aren't dependent on the GM. My first post about this signing was actually quite positive. But we're not talking about this signing. We're talking about the concept of signing depth players for the purpose of putting them on LTIR for (hopefully) a full season and then activating them in the playoffs on a new team after major injury and 14 months of not playing. That's a horrible idea that no GM would actually try.

 

[Racer88]

Who we really need is Mark Stone. He seems more then willing to sit on his but on LTIR all year and just suit up for the playoffs

 

[Stephen]

What you've actually done in that case, all for a depth player similar to what we already have, is unnecessarily put the team into LTIR for the full season (making other additions more difficult), and thrust a player coming off major injury that hasn't played in over a year into the most difficult and meaningful games of the season, with a different coach and team, while risking the team being put in a horrible position if he's ready earlier.

Leafs have been carrying LTIR dollars on guys like Muzzin, Murray, Mrazek, Klingberg for years. To imply Hakanpaa is some new exotic condition wouldn’t pass the smell test.

 

[Dekes For Days]

Leafs have been carrying LTIR dollars on guys like Muzzin, Murray, Mrazek, Klingberg for years. To imply Hakanpaa is some new exotic condition wouldn’t pass the smell test.

Players getting injured and teams having to utilize LTIR (what happened with those players) is very different than signing somebody for the purpose of putting them on LTIR for a full season and then activating them to play in the playoffs on a team they've never played on before, after being out 14 months with a major injury (what you're currently advocating for Hakanpaa).

 

[ULF_55]

Players getting injured and teams having to utilize LTIR (what happened with those players) is very different than signing somebody for the purpose of putting them on LTIR for a full season and then activating them to play in the playoffs on a team they've never played on before, after being out 14 months with a major injury (what you're currently advocating for Hakanpaa).

If we want to play the LTIR game ... Landeskog scenario.

Knowing the player will not play the current season, but may after a year of surgery and recovery for half his healthy rate.

So he doesn't play this year, and just rehabs for the entire year, and is ready for 2025-2026 training camp.

1.5 for a 33 year old depth defender wouldn't be outrageous.

After typing that, my preference is they move on if he isn't capable of playing this season. One of the Marlies or DEL defender of the year would be a better option.

 

[Stephen]

Players getting injured and teams having to utilize LTIR (what happened with those players) is very different than signing somebody for the purpose of putting them on LTIR for a full season and then activating them to play in the playoffs on a team they've never played on before, after being out 14 months with a major injury (what you're currently advocating for Hakanpaa).

This is ostensibly the “Mark Stone” treatment. To raise it as a concern is simply a falsehood since we’ve all been living with LTIR for years. It’s no more remarkable than any other roster move where you take a gamble on someone who isn’t 100% healthy. Nothing to see here.

 

[Maple Leaf]

Who we really need is Mark Stone. He seems more then willing to sit on his but on LTIR all year and just suit up for the playoffs

Vegas and Tampa are cheating with the rules so we too

 

[Dekes For Days]

This is ostensibly the “Mark Stone” treatment. To raise it as a concern is simply a falsehood since we’ve all been living with LTIR for years.

No, it's nothing like it. Mark Stone wasn't signed to go on LTIR. He was signed to play. He's a star player; not a redundant depth piece. He was established on his team, and knew the systems, coach, and players. He played in every season, and has never spent a full season on LTIR, or spent 14 months out with a major, career-threatening injury to then come back for just the playoffs.

He's gotten injured in season for a couple months, and then Vegas has utilized the no cap in playoffs loophole and massaged timelines to use his significant cap space to add at the deadline. What you're advocating for is something very different, and it would be a massive concern if our GM thought that was a good move. Living in LTIR space out of necessity due to permanent injury of a roster player is also very different than living in it out of some weird choice.

 

[conFABulator]

Vegas and Tampa are cheating with the rules so we too

How are we "cheating"? Assuming this all happens, we sign a guy to a two year contract and we pay him for both years, both years he takes up one of our contract spots.

That's it, end of story.

LTIR? OK, how are we cheating here? A doctor will have to sign off on him being injured. It's not different than any other player that will start the season on LTIR, possibly much less fishy than some (even M. Murray last year was Fisher).

Also, the end of the story.

Need more? The GM from last year declared him healthy and not in need of more treatment or surgery. The player himself declared himself healthy and wanted to play in the playoffs last year.

This is only a story because it is the Leafs, it's the same as the Tanev contract structure. What rule is being broken there?

 

[Fogelhund]

Maybe it's time to lock this one, until such time as there is some actual information on what's going on with Hakanpaa.

 

[Stephen]

No, it's nothing like it. Mark Stone wasn't signed to go on LTIR. He was signed to play. He's a star player; not a redundant depth piece. He was established on his team, and knew the systems, coach, and players. He played in every season, and has never spent a full season on LTIR, or spent 14 months out with a major, career-threatening injury to then come back for just the playoffs.

He's gotten injured in season for a couple months, and then Vegas has utilized the no cap in playoffs loophole and massaged timelines to use his significant cap space to add at the deadline. What you're advocating for is something very different, and it would be a massive concern if our GM thought that was a good move. Living in LTIR space out of necessity due to permanent injury of a roster player is also very different than living in it out of some weird choice.

I get the sense you want to make this a sensational topic about GM competence and quality control but for a contract that’s a) not official b) $1.5 million in cap hit c) and can be disappeared/stashed on well established protocols… go and enjoy your summer.

 

[Dekes For Days]

I get the sense you want to make this a sensational topic about GM competence and quality control but for a contract that’s a) not official b) $1.5 million in cap hit c) and can be disappeared/stashed on well established protocols… go and enjoy your summer.

You brought up a suggestion of how to use (or rather not use) Hakanpaa, and I pointed out why it would be a bad idea. That's all this is about. Not the contract, or "GM competency". No GM would actually do what you're suggesting.

 

[Stephen]

You brought up a suggestion of how to use (or rather not use) Hakanpaa, and I pointed out why it would be a bad idea. That's all this is about. Not the contract, or "GM competency". No GM would actually do what you're suggesting.

You made irrelevant status distinctions between Stone and Hakanpaa. One is a star guy, the other isn’t. One makes a lot of money. They other doesn’t. So? Neither count against the cap for the duration they’re hurt. At the end of the day Hakanpaa is out of sight out of mind. If they sign him officially they’ll be able to use him whenever he comes off LTIR.

 

[Evilhomer]

Players getting injured and teams having to utilize LTIR (what happened with those players) is very different than signing somebody for the purpose of putting them on LTIR for a full season and then activating them to play in the playoffs on a team they've never played on before, after being out 14 months with a major injury (what you're currently advocating for Hakanpaa).

Anyone suggesting that this is what the Leafs are doing is being a bit silly. There is no chance the Leafs want to dig into LTIR. Completely the opposite. They signed this guy to play him. If he can't play, whatever, but they most certainly didn't sign him to sit on LTIR for 8 months.

 

[Nineteen67]

Anyone suggesting that this is what the Leafs are doing is being a bit silly. There is no chance the Leafs want to dig into LTIR. Completely the opposite. They signed this guy to play him. If he can't play, whatever, but they most certainly didn't sign him to sit on LTIR for 8 months.

Of course they didn’t. Only Dubas would think of doing something that dumb.

 

[Gallagbi]

Anyone suggesting that this is what the Leafs are doing is being a bit silly. There is no chance the Leafs want to dig into LTIR. Completely the opposite. They signed this guy to play him. If he can't play, whatever, but they most certainly didn't sign him to sit on LTIR for 8 months.

Seems like a troll instigating in the summer. Report it and I'm sure it'll get looked after

 

[LeafSteel]

Of course they didn’t. Only Dubas would think of doing something that dumb.

Of course we know that if it was Lord Dubas who had done this, the Dubasite clan would be regaling his sensational genius and the legend of Dubas would continue to grow…..

 

[Maple Leaf]

How are we "cheating"? Assuming this all happens, we sign a guy to a two year contract and we pay him for both years, both years he takes up one of our contract spots.

That's it, end of story.

LTIR? OK, how are we cheating here? A doctor will have to sign off on him being injured. It's not different than any other player that will start the season on LTIR, possibly much less fishy than some (even M. Murray last year was Fisher).

Also, the end of the story.

Need more? The GM from last year declared him healthy and not in need of more treatment or surgery. The player himself declared himself healthy and wanted to play in the playoffs last year.

This is only a story because it is the Leafs, it's the same as the Tanev contract structure. What rule is being broken there?

We should cheat we need every advantage we can get

 

[Nineteen67]

Of course we know that if it was Lord Dubas who had done this, the Dubasite clan would be regaling his sensational genius and the legend of Dubas would continue to grow…..

Am I to assume they’re responding to the “athletic” posters on here.

 

[Apex Predator]

Am I to assume they’re responding to the “athletic” posters on here.

Yeah they’re replying to James Mirtle and Jonas Siegel.

 

[Stephen]

Anyone suggesting that this is what the Leafs are doing is being a bit silly. There is no chance the Leafs want to dig into LTIR. Completely the opposite. They signed this guy to play him. If he can't play, whatever, but they most certainly didn't sign him to sit on LTIR for 8 months.

I don’t see any downside in signing him and stashing him on LTIR. We don’t know what the Leafs motivations are here when Hakanpaa is making way less than a healthy Lyubushkin. In any case it doesn’t seem like a big deal.