6-foot-7 Defenseman Available for Trade: Brad Treliving Eyes Potential Replacement for Jani Hakanpaa
GM Brad Treliving tried to bring in Jani Hakanpaa this season but it hasn't worked out, though he could look West to find his near-identical replacement.
This offseason the Toronto Maple Leafs made it their top priority to add defense to their lineup and it's paid off in spades. Bringing in Chris Tanev, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Jani Hakanpaa has certainly made a huge impact.
In the case of Hakanpaa though, he's only played two games and is still dealing with knee issues, so if Brad Treliving wants to rectify his potential swing and a miss in free agency, he can look West to Vancouver and pick up a very close replacement.
Toronto Should Look To Acquire Vincent Desharnais
The Maple Leafs clearly have a vision when it comes to who they want to have in their lineup. Adding a number of big-bodied and gritty players has paid off for the team so far.
But with Hakanpaa's uncertainty, Toronto could find a very similar replacement in Vincent Desharnais. According to Elliotte Friedman's '32 Thoughts' article, he spoke about how Toronto had initial interest in Desharnais last season.
Edmonton's liked him for a while, poking around last season before he was moved by Chicago. It obviously didn't happen, but the Maple Leafs asked about Vincent Desharnais.
He fits what they are looking for."
He's 6'7, 226 pounds and a right-handed shooting defenseman; all qualities that Hakanpaa possesses without the baggage of consistent injuries.
This season, he has two assists in 17 games and only has 18 points for his career, but his true strength lies in his hitting and shot blocking.
Only in the league for a few seasons, Desharnais has the potential to be one of the league's most dominant defenseman if given a chance. He's a cheap option at $2M with another year of control after this season.
Hakanpaa's original contract was not official because of Toronto's concerns about his injury status, so Brad Treliving could look to acquire Desharnais for a fair price and bring in a replacement who can make a big impact.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 16 | 1366 ANSWERS 6-foot-7 Defenseman Available for Trade: Brad Treliving Eyes Potential Replacement for Jani Hakanpaa Should Toronto acquire Vincent Desharnais? | ||
| Yes | 782 | 57.2 % |
| No | 584 | 42.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
