Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jani Hakanpaa (knee) has been activated from long-term Injured Reserve and appears ready to make his team debut on Wednesday versus Washington. After recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery, Hakanpaa has skated in a pair of AHL games during a conditioning stint in the minors. However, he last saw action in the NHL on March 16 when he was a member of the Dallas Stars. Hakanpaa finished the 2023-24 campaign with 12 points (two goals, 10 assists), 56 shots, 123 blocks, and 196 hits across 64 appearances. He will add toughness to the Maple Leafs team but shouldn't be expected to contribute offensively.
Jani Hakanpaa And Connor Dewar Sent On Conditioning Stint
Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Jani Hakanpaa (knee) and center Connor Dewar (shoulder) have been sent on a conditioning loan to the Toronto Marlies of the AHL. Hakanpaa and Dewar both haven't played this year due to injuries suffered before the season started. Both should have a good chance to get into the lineup once their conditioning stints are over, but both will probably play lower down in the lineup. Hakanpaa could be a good hits and blocks streamer if he gets decent minutes, and Dewar won't be fantasy-relevant.
Jani Hakanpaa Confident He Can Overcome Knee Issue
Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jani Hakanpaa (knee) believes he can return to action and make an impact in 2024-25. Hakanpaa has been out since March with a knee injury, and there have been fears that he might not be able to continue playing. The Maple Leafs only recently made his signing official on a one-year contract despite there being reports at the start of free agency of a two-year deal with the Finnish rearguard. "In my mind, It's been clear that I'm going to get back, said Hakanpaa on Monday. "It's a little bit of a roller coaster almost. There's good days, bad days, but I think that underlying trust that it's going to happen eventually has always been there." Hakanpaa has made 288 appearances in the NHL since making his debut in 2019-20, recording 45 points (15 goals, 30 assists) with 453 blocks and 898 hits.
Dallas Stars defenseman Jani Hakanpaa (lower body) will remain sidelined for Game 5 against the Oilers on Friday. The 32-year-old has yet to feature in the postseason after suffering a lower-body injury on March 16. Stars head coach Pete DeBoer hasn't ruled Hakanpaa out for the series, but he appears to still be some way off from returning. With Chris Tanev (lower body) getting hurt in Game 4, Dallas' blue-line depth is getting a big test. 20-year-old Lian Bichsel could make his NHL debut in Friday's contest.
Dallas Stars defenseman Jani Hakanpaa (undisclosed) did not practice on Monday and is considered day-to-day ahead of Game 1 of the Western Conference Final on Thursday. Hakanpaa has been out of the Stars' lineup since Game 1 of their first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings where he suffered an undisclosed injury. It would be a surprise to see the burly d-man back in the Stars lineup early in the series given his inability to practice. If he does return, he will likely replace Alex Petrovic on the third pairing alongside Ryan Suter.
Dallas Stars defenseman Jani Hakanpaa (lower body) will remain out for Game 3 against Colorado on Saturday. He's yet to feature in the 2024 postseason after also missing the final 13 regular-season games. Miro Heiskanen, who's tied for most postseason points on the team with eight points (three assists, five assists) in nine games, will continue to lead Dallas' blue line. Thomas Harley, Esa Lindell, and Chris Tanev also log heavy minutes at the back for the Stars.
Dallas Stars defenseman Jani Hakanpaa (lower body) will remain on the shelf for Tuesday's Game 1 against Colorado. He missed the end of the regular season and didn't see any action in the first round against Vegas due to a lower-body injury. However, Hakanpaa could be ready to return to the Stars lineup at some point during the second-round series. The Finnish blue-liner would add toughness to the team -- he led Dallas with 196 hits in 64 regular-season outings. Hakanpaa was also among the team leaders with 123 blocks while tallying 12 points (two goals, 10 assists).
Dallas Stars defenseman Jani Hakanpaa (lower body) will remain sidelined for Game 2 against the Golden Knights on Wednesday. He hasn't seen any game action since March 16, missing 14 consecutive games. Hakanpaa finished the regular season with 12 (two goals, 10 assists) points, 123 blocks, and a team-high 196 hits in 64 games. Despite struggling at the back and giving up four goals to Vegas in Game 1, the Stars won't make any lineup changes on Wednesday.
Dallas Stars defenseman Jani Hakanpaa (lower body) is set to miss "the near future" after sustaining a lower-body injury in a 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings on March 16. "He's shut down for the near future here," head coach Peter DeBoer said. "He's having some tests done and things like that, so we'll see where that goes. But I don't see him having any availability in the immediate future." The 31-year-old has two goals and 12 points across 64 games on the season while adding a plus-10 rating. He is known for his physical style of play, and his 196 hits rank 14th in the NHL while he has added 123 blocked shots as part of his 18:39 average ice time per game.
Dallas Stars defenseman Jani Hakanpaa is being evaluated for an unspecified injury, according to Saad Yousuf of The Athletic. The 31-year-old skated in two preseason games last week, but it's now unclear when he can return to action. Hakanpaa elected against knee surgery to be ready for the start of the 2023-24 campaign, and it would be a bitter blow for the Finnish veteran if he still ends up missing time. Hakanpaa doesn't contribute a lot on the offensive end and notched just 16 points (six goals, 10 assists) in 82 regular-season outings last season, but he's been a true workhorse for the team defensively and led the Stars with 224 hits in 2022-23 while finishing second with 128 blocks.
Dallas Stars defenseman Jani Hakanpaa, who delivered one goal and two assists in 15 playoff contests for Dallas until their elimination from the 2022-23 playoffs, will undergo knee surgery during the offseason. As a result, his return date is currently unknown, and he is considered out indefinitely. The 31-year-old defenseman recently completed his first 82-game season, recording six goals, 10 assists, 86 shots on goal, and an impressive plus-18 rating. He averaged 19:02 minutes of total ice time during the regular season.
Dallas Stars defenseman Jani Hakanpaa suffered a broken pinkie in a preseason game this week but is expected to return to full health ahead of his team's season-opening game on October 14. The 29-year-old, who signed with the Stars as an unrestricted free-agent this past summer, is expected to be a regular on the team's third-defensive pair. Hakanpaa made a name for himself last season in fantasy formats that reward physical play - finishing third in the entire NHL in hits (215) while also posting 35 penalty minutes. The Finnish native likely isn't worth rostering on a season-long basis but will likely provide value as a streamer throughout the campaign.
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