Jani Hakanpaa could play for the Toronto Marlies before he suits up for the Maple Leafs.
It sounds like everything will be on the table once Hakanpaa, signed to a one-year contract by the Leafs on Sept. 11 following a long recovery from a knee injury, is able to get into game action.
Part of the reason the Leafs were able to get under the salary cap by late Monday afternoon was in placing the defenceman on longterm injured reserve. Under LTIR rules, Hakanpaa must sit 10 games and 24 days, so his Leafs debut won’t be until Nov. 2 in St. Louis against the Blues at the earliest.
“Touch wood, there have been no setbacks,” Leafs general manager Brad Treliving said on Tuesday. “He has been practising, but it hasn’t been full contact.
“Hopefully, we will have a game plan here in the next couple weeks, whether that means maybe getting him into some games with the Marlies on a conditioning (stint). We’ll see. We’ll have a better read probably in the next couple weeks.”
Hakanpaa has not played in the American Hockey League since the 2019-20 season, when he skated in 47 games for the San Diego Gulls.
You’re not going to overlook Hakanpaa once he makes his Leafs debut. At 6-foot-7, 222 pounds, the giant Finn is expected to make an impact on the penalty, at the least, kill once he gets into game mode. Hakanpaa hasn’t played since March 16 with the Dallas Stars.
Morgan Rielly, the longest-serving current Leafs player, is on board with the bigger blue line that Toronto will employ this season with the additions of Chris Tanev, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Hakanpaa.
“It’s great,” Rielly said with a smile. “I feel small.
“It’s a different look, naturally, but ultimately the goal is the same.”
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