Elliotte Friedman: Maple Leafs Can Exploit NHL Loophole To Bring Jani Hakanpaa Back

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Chris Gerics
November 10, 2024 (5:10 PM)

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The Toronto Maple Leafs need to clear roster space for Jani Hakanpaa to return, but they could use a sneaky method to open a spot for him per Elliotte Friedman.

It's been a great week for the Toronto Maple Leafs minus the injury to captain Auston Matthews, who is currently dealing with an upper-body issue. They are 3-0-0 and outscoring opponents 11-2 over that three-game span.

Their powerplay has improved dramatically and their defense has been elite. Once Jani Hakanpaa returns, it's going to become even better; but Toronto needs to find a spot for him.

GM Brad Treliving could use a loophole however to not only get one of his prized prospects some extra games but bring in Hakanpaa as well. Per NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman, Toronto could use a conditioning stint as a means to shuffle the roster around:

"Toronto's got its roster crunch, not news, but that will force decisions. One possibility: Philippe Myers accepts a conditioning stint because he hasn't played, which at least makes roster room for Jani Hakanpaa."

It's an intriguing bit of business that kills two birds with one stone. Myers has only played one game this season, however Treliving and the Maple Leafs are very high on him, and would prefer to keep him around. One way to do that is to send him down for a conditioning stint to give him games, then bring him back as a 7th defenseman.

With Toronto hotly anticipating how Hakanpaa will add to their already elite defense, Myers gets a chance to play a bit more with the Marlies; a team he spent time for on a loan from Nashville back in 2021. He played 16 games and added two goals and five assists in that span.

Bouncing between the NHL and AHL, Myers has 159 career games, with 36 points and a +4. He hasn't had a true chance to break out, and given Toronto's new propensity for big defensemen, Myers has a better chance than others. Giving him more time to play can only benefit him in the long run.

Toronto is only going to get better once Jani Hakanpaa returns, however, they can give a promising defenseman a chance to play more, without risking losing him for nothing.