Leafs free agency signing left unconfirmed after recent player developments

The Leafs took a different strategy this year at the trade deadline, acquiring many pieces to prioritize bolstering their defense. They signed multiple different pieces to help improve their defence, but one of these signings seems to be a little complicated at the moment.

The Leafs reportedly signed Jani Hakanpaa of the Dallas Stars to a 2 year, 1.5M deal back on the first day of the trade deadline. This would've been a great depth signing for the Leafs, but it was only reported by insiders and never actually confirmed. Now it seems like the signing fell through, as Hakanpaa is still representing his old team instead of the Leafs.

This is a very odd scenario, as it's odd signings don't go through when reported. There has been tons of concern over Hakanpaa's health, as there have been reports that he has a pretty extensive list of injuries in his knees.

The Leafs are already worried about injuries and don't need to worry about signing another injury prone defenceman. It may be for the best that the deal fell through, as they don't have to shed cap to be cap compliant anymore. It's all but confirmed that this deal didn't go through, as his agent refused to comment on the deal.

It's a shame to see players not be given a chance due to injuries, but that's the unfortunate side effect of the business. Hopefully Hakanpaa can bounce back and play more games in the NHL, if the Stars or some other team decides to give him another shot.