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

Cap'n Flavour

Registered User
Mar 8, 2004
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Flavour Country
He looks like crap so far, slow, immobile and bad with the puck. Only played 12:34 last night and Rielly also struggled with him 5v5. Benoit wasn't doing great but Hakanpaa is clearly not 100%, why are they rushing him in?
 

1specter

Registered User
Sep 27, 2016
12,239
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His possession numbers were bad but from an xGF standpoint he actually rated out pretty well, which kinda makes sense. He's not super mobile right now and is struggling with the puck however he's still effective at taking away the dangerous scoring areas and boxing out guys with his size and reach.
 

TMLBlueandWhite

Registered User
Feb 2, 2023
1,998
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This guy really needs to pick it up soon.

He was the worst player on the ice again last night. For both teams. If he's still not ready to be playing they need to give him more time.

Because right now he stinks.

Hakanpaa doesn't bring anything to the table Benoit already does. It was a redundant signing of a number seven defenseman. That money would have been better allocated to someone healthy who could actually make a difference.

Hakanpaa makes a difference but not in a positive way.

I love my big bruising heavy hitting defensemen. But this signing could ever only have turned out questionable at best. At worst it's another anchor added to the ones like Domi, Reaves, and Kampf already on the team.

Another game like these last two and Hakanpaa should be switching spots with Benoit.
 

LEAFANFORLIFE23

Registered User
Jun 17, 2010
47,448
16,059
This guy really needs to pick it up soon.

He was the worst player on the ice again last night. For both teams. If he's still not ready to be playing they need to give him more time.

Because right now he stinks.

Hakanpaa doesn't bring anything to the table Benoit already does. It was a redundant signing of a number seven defenseman. That money would have been better allocated to someone healthy who could actually make a difference.

Hakanpaa makes a difference but not in a positive way.

I love my big bruising heavy hitting defensemen. But this signing could ever only have turned out questionable at best. At worst it's another anchor added to the ones like Domi, Reaves, and Kampf already on the team.

Another game like these last two and Hakanpaa should be switching spots with Benoit.

It's his 2nd game give it some time.
 

TMLBlueandWhite

Registered User
Feb 2, 2023
1,998
2,048
It's his 2nd game give it some time.

The Leafs should have given Hakanpaa more time in the AHL for conditioning.

They have up to ten games. There was no need to rush him. Let him get his confidence up beating on some chumps in the minors.

Right now if he's ever gonna be the difference between winning or losing it will probably only be the latter.
 

The Shadow

Registered User
Feb 9, 2013
1,260
1,119
I don’t see the reason for overreaction here. Give him 8-10 games and then start to panic

I’m happy that they are trying things and looking to get better.
 

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