Representatives for former Dallas Stars defenseman Jani Hakanpaa have reportedly refused to comment on his contract status with the Maple Leafs.
Hakanpaa had reportedly agreed to a 2-year, $3M deal with the Leafs in July, but the contract hasn’t been registered with the NHL yet.
When initial reports surfaced that the Leafs had agreed to a contract with the 6’7, bruising defenseman, concerns about his health were almost immediately raised by the Toronto Sun’s Steve Simmons.
“I was told his knee was bone on bone. I asked the Leafs about this. They said their doctors cleared him to be signed. We’ll find out in the fall – or later – whether he can play again,” posted Simmons on “X”
Simmons’ initial reports led to a handful of other media personnel sharing their thoughts on the situation, including TSN’s Chris Johnston who reported that Hakanpaa’s deal wouldn’t be registered until he passed a physical conducted by the Leafs’ medical staff. Hakanpaa underwent knee surgery following an injury he suffered in mid-March. With his contract still not formally registered with the league, PuckPedia even removed him from the Leafs’ roster page.
Hakanpaa was seen this weekend at a charity golf tournament in Finland repping a Dallas Stars jersey. With all of the speculation surrounding his contract and his injury, The Hockey News’ David Alter reached out to his agent, but confirmed they did not respond to the request for comments.
The lack of response from Hakanpaa and his agent has caused quite a stir leading many to believe that he will not be signing with the Leafs. If his deal does fall through, it would be a significant blow to the Leafs’ blueline and penalty kill, especially this late into the off-season when all of the top defensemen are off the market.
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