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Toronto Maple Leafs make a fool out of themselves after recent signing

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Joshua Deeds
July 4, 2024  (2:32 PM)
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GM Brad Treliving apparently doesn't do his proper research when signing free-agents.

As he may have just wasted a roster spot on someone who may never suit up for the Toronto Maple Leafs in defenseman Jani Hakanpaa.

The 32-year old defenseman Hakanpaa, signed a two-year deal with Toronto, with a $1.5 M AAV cap hit.

The 6'7" 220 pound defenseman is known for his penalty killing and physicality on the blueline. The Maple Leafs were missing toughness on the blueline and he filled that need.

But on the "Real Kyper and Bourne Show" it was reported that Nick Kypreos delved into Hakanpaa's injury history further and found troubling news.

One troubling fact, was that the Stars were wiling to pay Ilya Lyubushkin twice what they paid Hakanpaa due to injury concerns.

"The only thing that I would tell you is that you got to really believe the Leafs knew about it and checked it out and had their doctors look into it. Maybe they had their own physical on him or they took a report on it. I got to think they checked it through and through and were comfortable to give him not just a one-year deal, but a two-year deal. That second year is significant for them," said Kypreos. "The other thing that kind of concerns me from afar. They (Dallas) let this guy go who's 6'7, 230, 31 or 32-years-old and they let him go and they replaced him with a guy they paid twice as much for...They were willing to pay another guy $3.5M over a guy they could have had for $1.5M or $2M... Dallas was not comfortable with his knee. That I know for a fact. That they thought it wasn't just a doctor going in there and cleaning it up. That there were issues that left him questionable."

The Hockey News own David Alter would go further pointing out the Hakanpaa isn't featured on the teams website, as a roster player. Compared to Dakota Mermis, who was signed recently does.

Brad Treliving may have pulled his 1st Kyle Dubas' style move, after Dubas signed the former Stars defenseman John Klingberg for 1X$4.15 M, eventually landing himself on LTIR, as he underwent hip surgery.

This may be Brad's first fumble in Toronto, as he failed to do the right research for his team and his own salary cap.

Source: Maple Leafs Daily
Additional news surfaces about new Leafs defenseman Jani Hakanpaa

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