Here’s what new Hurricanes defenseman Jani Hakanpaa brings to the team
BY CHIP ALEXANDER
APRIL 14, 2021 03:22 PM,
“Everything happened real quick,” Hakanpaa said on a Wednesday media call.
The Canes traded defenseman Haydn Fleury, who was popular with his teammates, for Hakanpaa and a 2022 draft pick. He gives the Canes another right-shot D-man, which they wanted to balance the D pairings, but also a rugged stay-at-home type who can be a body-banger, much like defenseman Joel Edmundson was for Carolina last season.
“I think I’ll bring the tenacity of playing hard and being hard to play against out there,” Hakanpaa said. “Be really solid on the back end, get that physicality up. That’s what I’ve been trying to do and expect of myself in games.”
Brind’Amour expects it, too. Hakanpaa has 168 hits in 42 games this season, second among NHL defensemen. That’s a big part of what he does.
“I want him to play the way he plays,” Brind’Amour said Wednesday. “We got him here because of that. We don’t need him to do anything differently. We know what he’s about.
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