The Maple Leafs announced Wednesday that they’ve reinstated defenseman Jani Hakanpaa from his conditioning loan and activated him from long-term injured reserve. He’s expected to make his Toronto debut Wednesday night against the Capitals.
It’s been a long road back for Hakanpaa, who last played an NHL game on March 16 with the Stars before a knee injury ended his season. The 32-year-old reportedly had arthroscopic surgery over the summer before agreeing to terms on a two-year, $3M contract.
But weeks came and went without the Maple Leafs registering the deal. That’s because Hakanpaa and Toronto’s medical staff had a difference of opinion on what type of rehabilitation he still needed for his knee before they would clear him to play. After more than two months of additional discussions, the two sides finally put pen to paper on a one-year, $1.47M contract with an eight-team no-trade list.
That didn’t mean Hakanpaa was healthy, though, and he skated only briefly during camp and started the season on long-term injured reserve as expected. He was assigned to AHL Toronto on a conditioning loan at the beginning of the month, posting zeros across the board in two appearances — his first minor league action since the 2019-20 season.
While all signs point to him playing Wednesday night, it’s unclear who he’ll replace. Given he’s a right-shot defender, though, it’ll likely be Conor Timmins heading to the press box. The 26-year-old sitting as a healthy scratch is a good problem to have for Toronto, though. He’s done quite well in a third-pairing role this season, posting four points and a +5 rating through 15 games while controlling 52.4 percent of shot attempts at even strength.
Hakanpaa, who checks in at 6-foot-7 and 225 pounds, has been a serviceable fringe top-four option with the Stars for the past three years and routinely was among the league’s leaders in hits. The 2022-23 campaign saw him record career-highs across the board with six goals, 16 points, a +18 rating, 128 blocks and 86 shots on goal while averaging 19:20 per game.
The Maple Leafs had an open roster spot after assigning Matt Benning to the minors on Tuesday, so no corresponding transaction is required.