All Eyes on the Final Missing Piece of the Maple Leafs Defense: Craig Berube Has One More Trick Up His Sleeve
Craig Berube has an ace in the hole when it comes to his defense, and it lies in his towering defenseman who recently made his debut: Jani Hakanpaa.
It was a big offseason for Brad Treliving and his new head coach Craig Berube. They added big names on defense, acquired a brand new starter (even if it was indirectly), and named themselves a new captain. The defense was a big improvement and added names like Chris Tanev, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Jani Hakanpaa.
While Tanev and Ekman-Larsson have been very good this season, we have yet to see Hakanpaa as he recovered from offseason knee surgery. He's healthy now though, and he looks like he's going to be a problem for the opposition:
Welcome to the Top 4, Jani!
The way he can literally push aside the opponents and put them in a bad position is crucial for disrupting any offensive chances they may have. His mobility seemed to be in form and didn't look like anything was bothering him thus far. He had 15:36 of ice time, a great sign, and could be a huge impact player this season especially if he can break the Top 4.
He probably should too. Nothing against Ekman-Larsson, but Toronto needs another elite shutdown defender in their Top 4. Tanev and Jake McCabe have formed a solid duo together, and Morgan Rielly needs someone who can force the opponent's best lines into a tough spot while he facilitates the offense.
Toronto's defense is above and beyond what it's been in past years, and the whirlwind of low-end, past-their-prime defensemen that have plagued the Maple Leafs over the last few seasons is a thing of the past.
Toronto's got defense both at the NHL and AHL level, and the future is bright.
But the time is now, and Jani Hakanpaa has the chance to do something so many have tried before and failed. Be the guy who can control the defensive zone and make teams think twice about trying to step up to him. If Hakanpaa can accomplish that, Toronto will be headed to the Stanley Cup with a much easier path.
