Almost everything general manager Brad Treliving touched turned to gold in his second year with the Toronto Maple Leafs. His moves, including hiring a new coach, moved the Leafs to first place in their division. They are leading the reigning champions, and Treliving's work has played a huge role in helping them get there.
However, not everything worked out. The $1.47 million signing of defenseman Janne Hakkanpäa is a good example of this. One hockey analyst believes that is the only blemish on Treliving's resume this year.
In Jonas Siegel's latest column on The Athletic's website, the analyst found Hakkanpää, who has not played since mid-November and has just two games under his belt all year, under the headline “I don't practice.”
“The 32-year-old has been on the ice recently doing regular skating work with player development coach Denver Manderson, but has not participated in training in a month,” the analyst said. “Hakkanpaa was a flyer when the Leafs eventually signed him in the fall to a one-year deal and not the two-year contract that was prematurely announced in July.”
According to Siegel, Hakanpää's signing was initially controversial due to knee problems, and “the first half of the season did nothing to ease those concerns.”
the NHL An insider said concerns were heightened given the lack of playing time and the apparent slowness with which he played when the defender was healthy. Siegel said it could be “huge” if Hakkanpaa returns to form, but that doesn't seem likely.
NHL insiders praise addition of Chris Tanev to Maple Leafs by Brad Treliving
Brad Treliving made a stunning move to sign defenseman Chris Tanev to a six-year deal. By now, the move has aged like fine wine for the Maple Leafs in more ways than one.
One thing that is crucial, especially when compared to Tanev's peers, is the number of games he has played. while Auston MatthewsAnthony Stolarz and others were injured, Tanev was not.
“Tanev has played in every game except one. He's only half a season into a six-year deal — the full verdict on his contract, which expires in 2030, won't come for a while. But early on, he's been excellent.” said Jonas Siegel.
Tanev outperforms his teammates in shots, scoring chances, high-danger chances, high-danger goals and expected goals in a five-on-five match.
Edited by Krutik Jain
