Treliving expects 'game plan' for Hakanpää in upcoming weeks
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Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving said Tuesday he expects defenceman Jani Hakanpää to ramp up towards a return early in the season.
Hakanpää was placed on long-term injured reserve ahead of the season on Monday due to a lingering knee injury after signing a one-year deal with the Maple Leafs in free agency.
"We thought coming into it [that] it would be a few weeks. Touch wood there's been no setbacks," Treliving told reporters. "He's been practising but it hasn't been full, full, full contact. We'll hopefully have a game plan in the next couple weeks."
The 32-year-old Hakanpää had two goals and 10 assists in 64 games with the Dallas Stars last season prior to the injury, averaging 18:38 of ice time. Stars general manager Jim Nill confirmed after the season that Hakanpaa had an arthroscopic procedure on his knee, but was not expected to require any additional surgeries.
TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger reported on July 1 that Hakanpää and the Leafs had agreed on a two-year, $3 million deal. Treliving mentioned the defenceman among the team's adds later that day, but his signing was not made official until he inked a one-year, $1.47 million deal last month.
Selected in the fourth round of the 2010 draft by the St. Louis Blues, the Finnish blueliner didn't make his NHL debut until the 2019-20 season with the Anaheim Ducks. He has 15 goals and 45 points in 288 career games with the Ducks, Carolina Hurricanes and Stars.
Leafs waiting to name Game 1 starter
The Maple Leafs will open their season without Hakanpää on Wednesday against the Montreal Canadiens.
Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube has yet to name a starter for the opener, stating Tuesday he will wait until gameday to do so. Joseph Woll was the first goalie off the ice at Maple Leafs practice.
"We'll see tomorrow," said Berube on Tuesday. "That's tomorrow. Today's today."
Woll emerged the Maple Leafs starter last season and will share the net this season with free-agent addition Anthony Stolarz.