Jani Hakanpaa Close to Making Maple Leafs Debut And Hoping To Be Cleared 'Sooner Rather Than Later So It Doesn't Go Overboard'

Hakanpaa, along with Connor Dewar have been full participants in practice and are eligible to be activated from long-term injured reserve as soon as Nov. 1

Jani Hakanpaa has been a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs since signing a contract days before training camp opened in September. But as the calendar nears a flip to November, the Finnish defenseman can see his path to making his debut very soon.

"The excitement's been going for a long time now," Hakanpaa said. "So, I hope they release me (from long-term injured reserve) sooner than later so it doesn't go overboard."

Hakanpaa has been recovering from a knee injury he sustained last season with the Dallas Stars, but the 6-foot-7 defenseman has been a regular participant at team practices since Oct. 2 when the club practices in Bracebridge, Ontario during the pre-season. Forward Connor Dewar is in the same boat, having practiced regularly after undergoing off-season shoulder surgery. 

Both players were placed on long-term injured reserve to start the season and have had to wait a minimum of 10 games and 24 days. The Leafs will be able to activate both players as soon as Nov. 1, but it doesn't necessarily mean they will as the club will have to make some moves to their roster to accommodate them

Signs of Hakanpaa and Dewar's impending return were evident when both players joined the team for their two-game road trip last weekend through Boston and Winnipeg. 

Hakanpaa is beyond the point of being concerned about his knee and is itching to get back into the lineup the moment he's cleared by the team.

"I'll get out there and I'll just play the game, right," Hakanpaa said. "Off the ice, there are things we've got to stay on top of it. So, I think it's more just outside of the ice where you've just got to be smart about it."

Since joining the Leafs, Hakanpaa has been a part of all the team's meetings, including the penalty kill, which has been cited as the main reason the Leafs were interested in signing the player.

Following practice on Wednesday Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube talked about the club's lack of discipline over the last couple of games. In the club's 6-4 win against the Winnipeg Jets on Monday, Berube hated the lack of discipline shown by his club by taking penalties in the offensive zone. All four of Winnipeg's goals game in a situation where the team was either shorthanded or dealing a 6-on-5 situation either with an empty-net or delayed penalty call.

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If Hakanpaa were cleared, he'd be primed for those assignments, trying to help a club that has allowed 

If Hakanpaa and Deward are set to be activated, the Leafs will made to make both roster and cap space to make it work. 

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According to Puckpedia.com, the Leafs have $1,256,562 after the club activated and sent Fraser Minten to the Toronto Marlies on Tuesday. Waiving seldom-used Philippe Myers to place him with the Marlies would get the club's cap space to $2,031,562. Another move would be needed to activate both of Hakanpaa's $1.47 million and Dewar's $1.18 million cap hit.

The Leafs have only one player who is exempt from waivers and that is forward Matthew Knies. Given his role on the team, it's a virtual certainty they will not touch that spot to accommodate both players. But moving any other minimum contract players off the roster either via waivers or trade would allow for both players to be activated.

There is still one game to play, and thus, there is still time to make that decision.