Toronto Maple Leafs sign defenseman Jani Hakanpaa to two-year contract

Mike Gould
Mike Gould
Toronto Maple Leafs sign defenseman Jani Hakanpaa to two-year contract
Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed defenseman Jani Hakanpaa to a two-year contract, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported Monday afternoon.

Hakanpaa, 32, appeared in 64 games with the Dallas Stars during the 2023-24 regular season, collecting two goals and 12 points while averaging 18:38 of ice time per night. He did not play in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs while recovering from a lower-body injury.

According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Hakanpaa’s new contract with the Maple Leafs carries a $1.5 million cap hit for the next two seasons.

The St. Louis Blues originally selected Hakanpaa in the fourth round (No. 104 overall) of the 2010 NHL Draft. The Kirkkonummi, Finland product spent three seasons in the Blues’ minor-league system in the early 2010s before returning to the Finnish Liiga.

The Anaheim Ducks signed Hakanpaa as a free agent from Liiga club Karpat in 2019. Hakanpaa skated in 49 NHL games over parts of two seasons with the Ducks in 2019-20 and 2020-21 before being traded to the Carolina Hurricanes at the 2021 deadline.

Hakanpaa subsequently signed a three-year contract with the Stars as an unrestricted free agent in the 2021 offseason. He cemented himself as a regular NHL defenseman over three full seasons in Dallas, playing at least 80 games in two of them.

In 288 career games over parts of five NHL seasons with the Ducks, Hurricanes, and Stars, Hakanpaa has collected 15 goals and 45 points. He’s added one goal and four points in 33 career playoff contests.

Hakanpaa is the latest addition to a new look Maple Leafs defensive group that now includes Chris Tanev, who officially agreed to terms on a six-year deal with Toronto on Monday. The Maple Leafs also signed veteran defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson to a four-year contract shortly after the UFA period opened.

Keep scrolling for more content!