Confirmed with Link: Leafs sign D Jani Hakanpaa (2 years, $1.5M AAV) [in progress; medical delay?]

[egd27]

The only Leaf GM in modern history to not give out term or significant money to players through decline years? No, Treliving is doing the exact opposite.

So JT hasn't been declining ?

 

[crump]

I like this trend. With McCabe being a nasty bit of work to play against.

Maybe Morgan Rielly doesn’t have to be 225 pounds now. Might be a contributing factor to his declined play down the stretch.

205 is more than big enough for a 6’1” 30 year old mobile #1 defenseman.

People check this out..

Leafs currently have 3 of the top 15 Dmen that lead the NHL in Hits last season in 2023-24.

Both Beniot (#2nd overall) and Hakanpaa (#15th) only played 64 games each missing 18 games and still managed to be among the leaders.

Toss in Jake McCabe (#7) while also missing 9 games and you have the NHL's MOST PHYSICAL Dcore based on Hits..

View attachment 892524

Lets not forget Blocked Shots either where all 3 Leafs defenders above recorded triple > 100 last year. However Leafs new addition Chris Tanev finished #3 outperforming all 3.

View attachment 892530

Now Look at that SIZE !!!

View attachment 892533

How can any Leaf fan not be excited as our new GM Treliving builds and reshapes the Leafs Dcore in his Vision to Big, Mean and Mobile? .

 

[Dekes For Days]

So JT hasn't been declining ?

Age 27-33 are not decline years.

 

[Fogelhund]

So JT hasn't been declining ?

Treliving hasn't extended him... so really doesn't apply.

 

[Mess]

The only Leaf GM in modern history to not give out term or significant money to players through decline years? No, Treliving is doing the exact opposite.

It appears you're going to have to adjust to the new GM plan of building a real NHL team.

Sadly the days of Victor Mete and Mac Hollowell filling out Leafs Dcore are over for fans living in the past. Pens GM just signed Hollowell, while Treliving signed Hakanpaa

Now you must get use to filling out the bottom pairing with REAL Dmen.

 

[egd27]

Age 27-33 are not decline years.

So he hasn't been declining ?

 

[Dekes For Days]

It appears you're going to have to adjust to the new GM plan of building a real NHL team.
Sadly the days of Victor Mete and Mac Hollowell filling out Leafs Dcore are over for fans living in the past.

I'm adjusting to the new GM plan of flushing our real NHL team down the toilet. Mete and Hollowell played a combined total of 17 regular season games for us as deep injury fill-ins. It's pretty misleading to try and represent them as fixtures of our previous defense core.

 

[Mess]

I'm adjusting to the new GM plan of flushing our real NHL team down the toilet. Mete and Hollowell played a combined total of 17 regular season games for us as deep injury fill-ins. It's pretty misleading to try and represent them as fixtures of our previous defense core.

Our new real GM doesn't seem to be getting derailed signing useless players, doing busy work for players that serve no useful purpose regular season nor playoffs.

Hakanpaa Joins the Maple Leafs

As Hakanpaa joins the Maple Leafs on a two-year, $3 million contract, his strong defensive play, physicality, and experience will be crucial additions to the team’s third defensive pairing. His presence on the ice will provide grit and reliability, particularly in high-pressure playoff situations where his experience and defensive skills can anchor the team’s blue line. Toronto fans can look forward to seeing a defenceman who embodies resilience, dedication, and a commitment to team success.

In the 2023-24 season, Hakanpaa continued his physical style of play. Combined with his shot-blocking ability, he is a valuable asset to any team’s defensive lineup. His knee injury, which required an arthroscopic procedure, kept him out of action after March 16. However, he is not expected to need further knee procedures and is on the road to recovery.

Toronto fans can look forward to seeing a rugged, resilient defenceman committed to the team’s success. With Hakanpaa in the lineup, the Maple Leafs are better equipped to handle the rigors of an NHL season and the intensity of playoff hockey.

 

[Dekes For Days]

Our new real GM doesn't seem to be getting derailed signing useless players, doing busy work for players that serve no useful purpose regular season nor playoffs.

Every GM signs deep depth players. Treliving did it too, and you seemed to have no issue with it.

Hakanpaa Joins the Maple Leafs

As Hakanpaa joins the Maple Leafs on a two-year, $3 million contract, his strong defensive play, physicality, and experience will be crucial additions to the team’s third defensive pairing. His presence on the ice will provide grit and reliability, particularly in high-pressure playoff situations where his experience and defensive skills can anchor the team’s blue line. Toronto fans can look forward to seeing a defenceman who embodies resilience, dedication, and a commitment to team success.

Toronto fans can look forward to seeing a rugged, resilient defenceman committed to the team’s success. With Hakanpaa in the lineup, the Maple Leafs are better equipped to handle the rigors of an NHL season and the intensity of playoff hockey.

The player, when healthy, is fine. That's why we pursued him in 2021. The issue is the lack of knees that he seemingly now has.

 

[Menzinger]

But surprised this has been controversial.

If his contract is eventually registered I'd imagine he'll be on ltir most of the year, including the start. Hopefully the Leafs get some games out of him eventually

 

[Bomber0104]

I think this would be most likely?

Rielly-Tanev
OEL-Hakanpaa
Benoit-McCabe
Liljegren

Just going by previous playoff history, Liljegren gets forced out.

Hakanpaa basically does a Mikkola impression for OEL.



Murray is likely a traveling E-bug - He's likely waived at the start of the year and will most likely travel/practice with the bug club as the 3rd goalie while not counting on the cap.

Also quite possible, I’m sure Treliving is looking to flip Liljegren though and not keep $3M pressboxed.

 

[notbias]

I think this would be most likely?

Rielly-Tanev
OEL-Hakanpaa
Benoit-McCabe
Liljegren

Just going by previous playoff history, Liljegren gets forced out.

Hakanpaa basically does a Mikkola impression for OEL.

If Treliving signed a $3 million dollar player to sit in the press box, he deserves to be fired.

 

[Nineteen67]

Some Leafs plans seem to be in the works. Option: Where Timmins is OUT and Hakanpaa is LTIR (if unavailable) and Leafs open $6 mil cap for a pair of Forward adds.

One thing is clear is that the Leafs need to add forward depth, and getting cap space to add up front needs to happen in order to have options on the roster.

Let’s wait and see if GM Treliving deploys this bold strategy, and if it pays off.

View attachment 892512

View attachment 892517

View attachment 892513

Lots of summer ahead with potential moves still to come.

They’ll have to get rid of forward depth to add forward depth and try to find a legit 3C. Feels like they’re trying to ice a team again this year.

 

[notbias]

People check this out..

Leafs currently have 3 of the top 15 Dmen that lead the NHL in Hits last season in 2023-24.

Both Beniot (#2nd overall) and Hakanpaa (#15th) only played 64 games each missing 18 games and still managed to be among the leaders.

Toss in Jake McCabe (#7) while also missing 9 games and you have the NHL's MOST PHYSICAL Dcore based on Hits..

View attachment 892524

Lets not forget Blocked Shots either where all 3 Leafs defenders above recorded triple > 100 last year. However Leafs new addition Chris Tanev finished #3 outperforming all 3.

View attachment 892530

Now Look at that SIZE !!!

View attachment 892533

How can any Leaf fan not be excited as our new GM Treliving builds and reshapes the Leafs Dcore in his Vision to Big, Mean and Mobile? .

Size is weight, not height.

Treliving signed out 3 smallest D and one of the D you're quoting will be in the pressbox...

I think you need to get more educated on our team.

 

[WTFMAN99]

Also quite possible, I’m sure Treliving is looking to flip Liljegren though and not keep $3M pressboxed.

The talk is the medical staff have green lit the Hakanpaa signing...if he's on the ice and looks like he can play, you can explore the Liljegren trade.

 

[keonsbitterness]

I believe Plan A for Treliving was going to bring back John Klingberg on and similar contract as Matt Murry with league base minimum $875K and then earned bonuses.

Klingberg, who is an unrestricted free agent, played just 14 games for the Leafs last season before undergoing season ending injury back in December. Since then there's been little talk of his future until Pagnotta's most recent report.

​

Klingberg's process appears to be similar to that of Patrick Kane, who didn't begin speaking with teams until he was back skating in late October, early November of last year.
The demand for Kane was significantly higher than the demand for Klingberg, but if he is fully healthy and able to get closer to the form he had during his early years in Dallas, he could be a very good mid-season pickup for a team that needs help on the blueline.


View attachment 892501

This signing could be Plan B and depending on his injury history might be able to make room for a Klingberg re-signing, by creative use of LTIR.

Remember the Leafs have Brandon Pridham assisting Treliving and he is a CBA savant when it comes to the manipulating of the CBA strategically.

Toronto is currently over the salary cap by $1.5 million, according to CapFriendly. Maple Leafs signed Hakanpaa to a two-year deal worth $1.5 million per season. What a coincidence the same amount of this signing now puts the Leafs over the cap and if he started on LTIR. Leafs would be cap compliant.

John Klingberg should be nobody's Plan A in 2024.

The only Leaf GM in modern history to not give out term or significant money to players through decline years? No, Treliving is doing the exact opposite.

Probably because the future of this core is limited to four years (Matthews deal) if they don't achieve playoff success, and that's the mandate he is now operating under.

 

[Mess]

They’ll have to get rid of forward depth to add forward depth and try to find a legit 3C. Feels like they’re trying to ice a team again this year.

With Marner and Tavares bloated contracts still on the books and overlapping the overpayment contracts of Matthews and Nylander kicking in NO NHL TEAM is in Cap Hell like the Leafs with 4 of the top 12 highest AAV contracts in the NHL all on a single team. So as far as forward depth goes blame those 4 greedy players, as they alone should provide enough offense to propel the team forward and not need additonal support like previous.

That said .. "Good teams are built from the Goalie out, through strong Defense ....." .. So you have to love the direction the Leafs are going with Woll (2.94 GAA & .905 sv% & GSAx of 7.2) ) and Storarz (2.03 GAA & .925 sv% with a 3rd overall GSAx of 20.1) shoring up the goaltending, and the giant redwoods that are being brought in on Defense including 6-7 Hakanpaa a gritty hard hitting PK machine.

If you surrender less goal against through improved goaltending, and assisted by shot blocking DMen that block out the Sun (see previous posted stats) making a goalies job much easier as other teams can't score on shots that the goalie doesn't even have to make a save on.. Then you no longer need more offense to outscore your mistakes, shaky defensive breakdowns and soft goaltending (below .900 sv%) to win games.

As the saying goes "There is more ways to skin a cat" (figuratively speaking) .. To suggest that there may be several ways of doing something, to achieve a similar desired outcome.

New Leafs strategy .. Surrender less goals against, so you require less goal for to produce winning results, this time following the tradional pattern for success.

 

[notbias]

With Marner and Tavares bloated contracts still on the books and overlapping the overpayment contracts of Matthews and Nylander kicking in NO NHL TEAM is in Cap Hell like the Leafs with 4 of the top 12 highest AAV contracts in the NHL all on a single team. So as far as forward depth goes blame those 4 greedy players, as they alone should provide enough offense to propel the team forward and not need additonal support like previous.

That said .. "Good teams are built from the goalie out, through strong defense ....." .. So you have to love the direction the Leafs are going with Woll (2.94 GAA & .905 sv%) and Storarz (2.03 GAA & .925 sv%) shoring up the goaltending, and the giant redwoods that are being brought in on Defense including 6-7 Hakanpaa a gritty hard hitting PK machine.

If you surrender less goal against through improved goaltending, and assisted by shot blocking DMen that block out the Sun. making a goalies job much easier as other teams can't score on shots that the goalie doesn't even have to make a save on.. Then you no longer need more offense to outscore your mistakes, shaky defensive breakdowns and soft goaltending (below .900 sv%) to win games.

As the saying goes "There is more ways to skin a cat" (figuratively speaking) .. To suggest that there may be several ways of doing something, to achieve a similar desired outcome.

New Leafs strategy .. Surrender less goals against, so you require less goal for to produce winning results, this time following the tradional pattern for success.

Edmonton almost won with Stuart Skinner and that terrible D... just because you bold something doesn't make it true

Improved goaltending? Woll is on Dubas' contract, so you may want to bad-mouth him for another season until he is on the Treliving contract, Stolarz is a backup, so he likely won't be playing.

We don't have trouble defending, we have trouble scoring... you should start watching the games more.

 

[DraftSchmaft]

John Klingberg should be nobody's Plan A in 2024.

Probably because the future of this core is limited to four years (Matthews deal) if they don't achieve playoff success, and that's the mandate he is now operating under.

Pretty much this.

One more early round loss and we'll have over 20 mil cap freed up over night. And if we do have success in the next year or 2, OEL and Tanev etc. will definitely have positive contributions

Nothing but sheer boredom is most likely making people over-react to the contract lengths. At the beginning of last season some of these same people had no issue with Pens getting Karlsson @ that cap hit, years left and age to help Crosby win one last time. In comparison the Tanev signing should have 100% support across the board. He fills a major need and is coming off being the best defensive dman in the playoffs.

 

[mydnyte]

They’ll have to get rid of forward depth to add forward depth and try to find a legit 3C. Feels like they’re trying to ice a team again this year.

Minten may start as the #3C

 

[mydnyte]

Size is weight, not height.

Treliving signed out 3 smallest D and one of the D you're quoting will be in the pressbox...

I think you need to get more educated on our team.

does your mommy buy your cloths?
when you buy a suit for example, its based off you chest size, height and arm length, and that makes up your 'size' weight has nothing to do with size.
'size' is not weight, weight is weight.

 

[Racer88]

The only Leaf GM in modern history to not give out term or significant money to players through decline years? No, Treliving is doing the exact opposite.

Hahahaha. I love some of your post. They make me smile

 

[LeafSteel]

I’m not optimistic on Hakanpaa playing for us.

Our medical staff greenlit Matt Murray and Klingberg, as well as Foligno.

Maybe I’ve got too much ptsd from recent experiences but I have a hard time believing our medical staff is so much more qualified to make assessments than Dallas’, who know the player far better than we do.

I just don’t see it. Would love to be wrong because Hakanpaa stands to be an excellent addition RHD to our corps if he can actually play to his capability.

We will see, but anyone moving Liljegren because we have Hakanpaa is way too premature in considering.

 

[notbias]

does your mommy buy your cloths?
when you buy a suit for example, its based off you chest size, height and arm length, and that makes up your 'size' weight has nothing to do with size.
'size' is not weight, weight is weight.

size can refer to multiple things, but in this context, it should be weight because that is how people use it when comparing people.

this can be summed up fairly easily... are Johnny Gaudreau and Ryan Lomberg the same size?

 

[mydnyte]

The talk is the medical staff have green lit the Hakanpaa signing...if he's on the ice and looks like he can play, you can explore the Liljegren trade.

Why would we trade the player that can potentially be our best 2-way defender?
He deserves a chance with a coach that doesnt misuse him non-stop to get a regular shift and partner and see what he is actually able to do, then, we decide.
You cannot give up on a guy that one game plays like your best defender, and then next game the coach gives him a new partner and role.