NHL analyst deems $1,470,000 defenseman as major failure amid Brad Treliving's second Maple Leafs offseason (IMAGN)
Nearly everything general manager Brad Treliving has touched has turned to gold in his second year with the Toronto Maple Leafs. His moves, including bringing in a new coach, have the Leafs in first in their division. They lead the defending champions, and Treliving's work has played a huge role in helping them get there.
Not everything has worked out, though. The $1.47 million signing of defenseman Jani Hakanpaa is a good example of that. One hockey analyst believes that's the lone blemish on Treliving's resume this year.
In the latest column of Jonas Siegel on The Athletic, the analyst finds Hakanpaa, who hasn't played since mid-November and has just two games under his belt all year, under "not working out."
"The 32-year-old has recently been on the ice for regular skating work with player development coach Denver Manderson, but he hasn’t participated in practice in a month," the analyst said. "Hakanpaa was a flier when the Leafs eventually signed him in the fall to a one-year deal and not the two-year contract that was prematurely reported in July."
