Confirmed with Link: Leafs sign defenceman Jani Hakanpää (1 year, $1.47M) (official)

[notbias]

Timmins can score points in the regular season, the playoffs are a different beast. Players tend to struggle more in the playoffs vs the regular season. Take Liljegren, he looks pretty solid in the regular season, and then the playoffs come around and he’s the other teams spark plug, and a black hole for us. Timmins would be playing against checking lines, and we’ve also seen other offensive defencemen like Sandin in those roles…which didn’t turn out pretty.

Benoit struggled in the playoffs, how much worse can it be?

My point is Benoit brings what you find in most bottom pairing defencemen, especially if he’s gonna be paired with an offensively oriented player in OEL.

Bottom pairings vary based on a team's needs.

Do we need more D who can't move the puck? Not sure we do.

 

[TIGERCOOL]

Assuming this means his knee is in good enough shape to play up to his standard, our defence is in solid shape. Not as keen as others to move Timmins.. I don't think Keefe gave him a fair shake. Some other NHL team will make use of him.

 

[notbias]

Assuming this means his knee is in good enough shape to play up to his standard, our defence is in solid shape. Not as keen as others to move Timmins.. I don't think Keefe gave him a fair shake. Some other NHL team will make use of him.

Klingberg was deemed fit to play last year.

I think there is only so much testing that can be done.

 

[ACC1224]

Don’t really like what you are trying to imply at the end, but that’s typical of you

Timmins can score points in the regular season, the playoffs are a different beast. Players tend to struggle more in the playoffs vs the regular season. Take Liljegren, he looks pretty solid in the regular season, and then the playoffs come around and he’s the other teams spark plug, and a black hole for us. Timmins would be playing against checking lines, and we’ve also seen other offensive defencemen like Sandin in those roles…which didn’t turn out pretty.

My point is Benoit brings what you find in most bottom pairing defencemen, especially if he’s gonna be paired with an offensively oriented player in OEL.

Timmins has never played a playoff game for the Leafs. He was +9 in 25 regular season games. Doesn’t seem like much of a negative impact at all.

 

[Evilhomer]

I guess this is complete semantics but I very much doubt OEL-Liljegren is our second pair. I think berube is gonna lean on McCabe a lot to try and be a rock defensively for him so tbh I could either see McCabe-Liljegren together, or we try the McCabe-Benoit pairing again this season

depending on fits, i think our defence is better, how much idk but it does seem to look more capable of doing a bit of offence and defence.

Agree, but I think you will find that this defense, when combined with the new playing style Berube will establish and the big upgrade in goaltending, is going to look very, very good. Not hard to see the Leafs having one of the best goal differentials in the league.

 

[ULF_55]

I guess this is complete semantics but I very much doubt OEL-Liljegren is our second pair. I think berube is gonna lean on McCabe a lot to try and be a rock defensively for him so tbh I could either see McCabe-Liljegren together, or we try the McCabe-Benoit pairing again this season

depending on fits, i think our defence is better, how much idk but it does seem to look more capable of doing a bit of offence and defence.

I could see a 1st. pairing, that is okay.
But then they might be dressing 2 comparable pairings for 2nd. and 3rd.

OEL, Liljegren, Benoit, Hakanpaa mix and match?

Though two have potential, 2 have peaked.

 

[conFABulator]

I guess this is complete semantics but I very much doubt OEL-Liljegren is our second pair. I think berube is gonna lean on McCabe a lot to try and be a rock defensively for him so tbh I could either see McCabe-Liljegren together, or we try the McCabe-Benoit pairing again this season

depending on fits, i think our defence is better, how much idk but it does seem to look more capable of doing a bit of offence and defence.

It might be semantics or maybe not. There are 48 ES minutes a night, I would like to see each of those pairings getting pretty even time at ES. Possibly Rielly/Tanev with 17 and the other two with 15.5 each. Who knows? It seems like we have a top pairing and then four more guys. If we were stacking a top four it would likely have McCabe in it if we are going for balance and depth I think we have a 2a and 2b.

I agree that our D is better. if we unlock the right pairings and keep healthy and load managed it could be a very good D by league standards.

 

[Hellcat]

I guess this is complete semantics but I very much doubt OEL-Liljegren is our second pair. I think berube is gonna lean on McCabe a lot to try and be a rock defensively for him so tbh I could either see McCabe-Liljegren together, or we try the McCabe-Benoit pairing again this season

depending on fits, i think our defence is better, how much idk but it does seem to look more capable of doing a bit of offence and defence.

McCabe Benoit were a nice pairing
Rielly and Tanev are almost a guarantee 1st pair.

Leaving OEL, Benoit, Lilly, Timmins and Hakinpaa for the final three roster spots, OEL is a lock for one spot, leaving Timmins, Benoit, Lilly and Hakinpaa to fight it out for two spots. Ignoring RD/LD assuming they paly either side Lily/Timmins have similar softish move the puck styles Lilly is a little more meaner. Benoit and Hakinpaa are more defensive defencemen types. One of Lily or Timmins gets one spot, one of Benoit or Hakinpaa gets the other spot. Berube coaching in St Lou would have seen Hakinpaa a lot, my guess is he would have a positive bias towards him.

Max is getting a contract, it’s been reported by every insider and Walsh his agent said on X he will be signing a contract with the leafs.

Moving Timmins alone won’t be enough, maybe Reaves gets buried or Kampf gets traded

Doesn't Reaves contract count towards the cap regardless if he is on the team or not?

 

[crump]

LTIR then Rooster comb Hyaluronic acid injections and he’ll be ready for the playoffs

 

[notbias]

LTIR then Rooster comb Hyaluronic acid injections and he’ll be ready for the playoffs

32, knee injury, would be off for over a year, seems like this would hurt the team, not help it.

 

[Fogelhund]

How can that be possible we are carrying 3 goalies, 8 d not sure how many forwards on the roster, we had 400k after signing Robertson without Hakinpaa on the roster, we must be over?

Are we carrying 3 goalies and 8 D? Has that been said somewhere?

Here is 13 F, 6D (Add in Hakinpaa) and 2G.

Toronto Maple Leafs | Salary cap and contracts

Of course, you are free to make your own assumptions.

 

[notbias]

Doesn't Reaves contract count towards the cap regardless if he is on the team or not?

It isn't considered a 35+ contract, $1.15 million of it can be buried

Pretty sure it is not considered one because it is not front-loaded, not 100% sure on this though.

 

[Mess]

6 foot 7 weighing in at 222 pounds.

Now we're getting somewhere.

 

[Menzinger]

Nice to see it finalized. Now the player just needs to show he can still use those knees lol.

Lily isn't going to be traded - if he was moved.
It Have been closer to July 1. And Reaves is Tres guy and isn't going anywhere near waivers.

Timmins probably won't play for the Leafs again - he was Dubas' and Keefe's guy.

 

[ACC1224]

Nice to see it finalized. Now the player just needs to show he can still use those knees lol.

Lily isn't going to be traded - if he was moved.
It Have been closer to July 1. And Reaves is Tres guy and isn't going anywhere near waivers.

Timmins probably won't play for the Leafs again - he was Dubas' and Keefe's guy.

Didn’t Treliving re-sign Timmins?
I think Lilijgren is the guy they move.

 

[Razz]

Mystery solved, I guess. They were just waiting on Robertson to sign first to guarantee they cap space they had allocated.

 

[tmlfan98]

The 30k cap hit difference between 1.5M and 1.47M may seem irrelevant at first glance, but it could actually have big implications in terms of who the cap casualties might be.

If the Leafs and Pacioretty end up agreeing to league minimum with easily achievable performance bonuses in order to punt most of his cap hit to next season like the Oilers did with Connor Brown last year, Kampf+Jarnkrok can both stay and they would only have to trade Dewar+Reaves to run this 23 man roster which would be only 5k under the cap:

Knies-Matthews-Marner
Cowan-Domi-Nylander
Pacioretty-Tavares-Robertson
McMann-Kampf-Jarnkrok
(Grebenkin+Holmberg extra Fs)

Rielly-Tanev
McCabe-Liljegren
OEL-Hakanpaa
(Benoit 7D)

Woll
Stolarz

 

[Menzinger]

Didn’t Treliving re-sign Timmins?
I think Lilijgren is the guy they move.

Mirtle has said he thought Lily s was going to be moved earlier in the summer,.and he had heard the front office wasn't super high on him, BUT then he ended up with that contract. I don't think they're moving him after that, because otherwise it would have been preferable to have spent that 3 mil during the height of free agency (could have put that money towards a clear cut top 4 guy).

Timmins seems the easier choice to make since he's lower in the depth chart and seems a lower certainty to be an NHLer or not

Edit:name mixup

 

[ACC1224]

Mirtle has said he thought Lily s was going to be moved earlier in the summer,.and he had heard the front office wasn't super high on him, BUT then he ended up with that contract. I don't think they're moving him after that, because otherwise it would have been preferable to have spent that 3 mil during the height of free agency (could have put that money towards a clear cut top 4 guy).

Timmins seems the easier choice to make since he's lower in the depth chart and seems a lower certainty to be an NHLer or not

Edit:name mixup

Had forgotten they had just re-signed him.
I’m biased but I see moving Timmins as something that will not age well.
lol, we do this every summer and they always have a plan to make it all work.

 

[Squiffy]

It isn't considered a 35+ contract, $1.15 million of it can be buried

Pretty sure it is not considered one because it is not front-loaded, not 100% sure on this though.

No signing bonus after year 1 and compensation remains same or increases through duration of contract is what makes it not a 35+

 

[Menzinger]

Had forgotten they had just re-signed him.
I’m biased but I see moving Timmins as something that will not age well.
lol, we do this every summer and they always have a plan to make it all work.

I also like Timmins but I suspect Tre will be less inclined to move a forward (well, MAYBE Jarnkrok), it it becomes a numbers game then on who goes

 

[Bust]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1833958745640231107

Shout out to Tre for the quality depth he’s brought in.

I hope we can move on from Timmins, Kampf and Jarnkrok. Even Robertson.

Enough of these vanilla guys (Robo excluded). If you’re not a skill/tools guy you’ve gotta bang.

This is how we get over the hump ladies and gentlemen.

 

[notbias]

Shout out to Tre for the quality depth he’s brought in.

I hope we can move on from Timmins, Kampf and Jarnkrok. Even Robertson.

Enough of these vanilla guys (Robo excluded). If you’re not a skill/tools guy you’ve gotta bang.

This is how we get over the hump ladies and gentlemen.

Exactly, look at Calgary, they were one of the toughest teams in the league under Tre and they won multiple cups.

 

[francis246]

McCabe Benoit were a nice pairing
Rielly and Tanev are almost a guarantee 1st pair.

Leaving OEL, Benoit, Lilly, Timmins and Hakinpaa for the final three roster spots, OEL is a lock for one spot, leaving Timmins, Benoit, Lilly and Hakinpaa to fight it out for two spots. Ignoring RD/LD assuming they paly either side Lily/Timmins have similar softish move the puck styles Lilly is a little more meaner. Benoit and Hakinpaa are more defensive defencemen types. One of Lily or Timmins gets one spot, one of Benoit or Hakinpaa gets the other spot. Berube coaching in St Lou would have seen Hakinpaa a lot, my guess is he would have a positive bias towards him.



Doesn't Reaves contract count towards the cap regardless if he is on the team or not?

Is Reaves a 35+ contract? That’s even stickier

 

[Sypher04]

Is Reaves a 35+ contract? That’s even stickier

It's not.