The Toronto Maple Leafs signed Jani Hakanpaa to a 2-year deal this offseason but it hasn't been finalized as of yet; though it seems they've wanted this for awhile.
Back in 2021, with a Leafs defense corps with the likes of Morgan Rielly, Travis Dermott and Justin Holl, the Maple Leafs desperately needed an upgrade on the blue-line and they had their sights set on a towering Finnish defender.
According to The Leafs Nations' Joseph Zita via Eric Engels, the Maple Leafs were heavily involved in trying to acquire Hakanpaa in free agency of that year.
Hakanpaa at the time decided to stay in Texas to play alongside Miro Heiskanen, Roope Hintz, Esa Lindell and Joel Kirivanta; The Finnish Five. He enjoyed a solid tenure with Dallas in those 3 years, scoring 12 goals and 28 assists but mainly providing elite shutdown defense and a booming presence on the ice.
While things haven't been finalized between Toronto and Hakanpaa, fans hope that things can get figured out sooner rather than later, lest the team miss out on another key piece.
