The Toronto Maple Leafs have put Jani Hakanpaa on the injured list due to a lower-body issue, effective from November 16.
Hakanpaa’s return depends on his recovery, but no details about his injury or when he’ll be back have been shared. To fill the gap, they’ve called up Marshall Rifai from the Marlies. This marks Rifai’s first season appearance after clearing waivers and heading to the minors on October 7. Whether Hakanpaa’s current injury is linked to his previous knee problem remains uncertain. Last spring, he underwent an arthroscopic procedure after an early end to his season in March 2023. He didn’t require further tests post-surgery and signed a two-year contract with Toronto on July 1, later adjusted to one year by September 11.
Just getting back into action on November 13, Hakanpaa played twice this season without scoring but managed four blocked shots and a -1 rating before getting hurt again in his second game. Since then, he has missed four games for Toronto. His spot at the bottom of the defense lineup was shared with Simon Benoit and Conor Timmins but will now be taken over by Rifai. In the AHL this season, Rifai has scored four points across 17 games and leads with a +10 rating.
Maple Leafs Defense Changes:
Rifai made his NHL debut last season in two games without scoring but earned a +1 rating while averaging just under twelve minutes of ice time per game. Over the past couple of seasons, he’s mostly played in the AHL since joining as an undrafted college free agent in 2022, where he scored 25 points over 126 games.
Fans might wonder if this change will boost their team’s performance or if it’s just another shuffle without much impact.
As we wrap up these updates from Toronto’s icy arena world: what do you think about these changes?
