Maple Leafs defenseman Jani Hakanpaa is ready to return to the NHL after a challenging 2024-25 season. Signed to a contract early last summer, there was a delay in his deal becoming official, mainly due to a career-threatening injury that no one had seemingly figured out. He eventually returned with Toronto, but played only two games.
The 33-year-old initially signed a multi-year deal with Toronto, but after the contract was revised to account for his health status, he inked a one-year, $1,470 million deal that expired at the end of the 2024-25 season. By most accounts, it was a gamble that didn’t pay off for the Maple Leafs, who were looking to overhaul their defense corps and get tougher to play against.
Now, free to sign wherever he’d like and fully cleared, Hakanpaa is seeking a new NHL opportunity for the upcoming season.
Will An NHL Team Take a Chance on Hakanpaa?
If healthy, Hakanpaa can bring an intriguing element to an NHL roster. Known for his physicality, he has recorded 899 hits and 45 points over 290 career games, and can be a solid (while not speedy) third-pairing defenseman. He likely won’t average the rough 18 minutes of ice time per night he used to play, but in a more limited role on a cheap contract, he could be an intriguing addition.
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As a right-shot defenseman, he could attract attention from teams looking to add depth and toughness to their blue line.
The 33-year-old told Ilta-Sanomat’s Ville Touru that he’s got a clean bill of health and has already received calls from NHL clubs. He is waiting to sign somewhere, but it’s not entirely clear why. It could be that he’s hoping the offers go up. It could also be that he knows the offers won’t be high and he’ll need to prove himself. That could mean looking for the best opportunity with a team that will give him a shot at upping his numbers for a contract offer in 2026.
Given his recent injury history, he may be a strong candidate for a professional tryout (PTO).
Could Hakanpaa Return to the Maple Leafs?
As good as it is to hear that the defenseman is healthy and ready to return to the NHL, don’t expect Toronto to give Hakanapaa another shot. The Leafs may be looking for help on their blue line, but the focus is offense from the back end, not the type of game that Hakanpaa provides. If anything, GM Brad Treliving will be looking for a puck-mover and another potential power-play guy. The idea is to produce points, replacing some of the production that left when Mitch Marner did.
Not to mention, the Leafs took a swing here once and whiffed. Potentially gunshy to give Hakanpaa another go, Toronto isn’t in a position where they’d be happy making the same mistake twice. He was actually cleared to play for the Leafs last season in the playoffs. “The doctors cleared me to play in the playoffs. My leg was in good condition and I was able to train well. That was a really positive sign for the future.”
Still, Toronto chose not to go that route, signaling they’ve moved on.
