3 thoughts on the Toronto Maple Leafs latest moves ahead of training camp

Item #2: Addressing depth defense rumours and moves

The Toronto Maple Leafs officially signed Jani Hakanpaa to a one-year, $1.47 million deal on Wednesday. The announcement ends weeks of speculation regarding the 6’7” blue liner’s eventually landing in Toronto.

Now, health concerns aside, what exactly does this move mean for the Leafs?

If the move is intended to add depth to the blue line, I’m sorry to say that Hakanpaa’s signing failed to achieve that. As it stands, Hakanpaa is most likely headed to LTIR. After all, it’s hard to imagine Hakanpaa beating out any of the Leafs current top six defencemen for a lineup spot.

Perhaps the idea is to keep Hakanpaa as a seventh defenceman. However, the team already has Conor Timmins, while Marshall Rifai and Philippe Myers could be in the mix if and when injuries strike.

Then, there are the Mark Giordano rumours. I like Giordano. I think he’s a warrior, especially playing at his age. Giordano could fit in well in the seventh defenceman role heading into this season. But there’s a catch.

Is it worth signing Giordano so he can sit in the press box most of the year?

Like Hakanpaa and Timmins, Giordano doesn’t actually make the Leafs any younger or more talented. He’s a stopgap solution in case things suddenly go south on the blue line.

In my estimation, Treliving’s eyes will be glued to the waiver wire as the first round of cuts hits the NHL. The Leafs will be looking for cheap, serviceable rearguards to support the Marlies and serve as call-ups as need be.