More Bad News Emerges for Maple Leafs Defenseman Jani Hakanpaa

Injuries have plagued the Toronto Maple Leafs all season, and one that has stuck out like a sore thumb is that of Jani Hakanpaa. Signed as a free agent to help the blueline, he's only managed to play two games before being back on the shelf.

A great sign was seeing Hakanpaa return to practice ahead of the Maple Leafs' return to the regular season, but a new update has shattered that hope as the forward was absent from practice yet again.

So what does the future hold for the Maple Leafs and Hakanpaa?

It was something of a coup for the Maple Leafs to sign Hakanpaa as he was a quieter signing expected to bring another big body to the team's revamped defense.

However concerns about injuries started before he even put on a jersey, as Toronto's two-year deal became a one-year pact. Wanting to see if his knees can hold up, it was a smart move to not commit so much to Hakanpaa.

Brad Treliving must have had some incredible foresight, as Hakanpaa has played in only two games this season, registering no points and four blocks.

A healthy Hakanpaa would have definitely given Toronto a solid shutdown defender with either Morgan Rielly or Simon Benoit and the team wouldn't have to rely on Philippe Myers or Conor Timmins.

There's potential that he could end up playing toward the end of the season and slip onto the playoff roster if healthy, but that's asking for a lot given his track record this season hasn't exactly been spotless.

It could also just be a case of Hakanpaa being back on the ice a lot more than he has recently and needing a small break, but it's very unlikely we'll see him play Saturday against Carolina and Chicago so it'll have to be seen if he shows up to more practices or stays away yet again.

It's an unfortunate turn of events after finally looking like he was getting back to health, but for Jani Hakanpaa it's just another blemish on his time with the Maple Leafs.