Leafs defenseman Jani Hakanpaa was seen taking part in skills practice, odd for a 6’7 blueliner. Is he getting worried Simon Benoit is coming for his spot?
Skills practice is a broad term. What skills exactly? You can’t be expecting a 6’7 defender to be doing shootout drills.
But what he is working on is a lot of the little things as he gets back into the full swing of things.
Footwork, positioning, and learning how to better break out are all key factors of a good defenseman and often go overlooked.
So with reports coming out that Jani Hakanpaa was adding some extra to his game and working on improving some facets, is it preparation?
Or is it paranoia?
Simon Benoit’s Coming For Hakanpaa
We’ve previously touched on Hakanpaa’s return meaning Benoit’s dismissal, and the free agent signing for the Maple Leafs had a long way to go before he finally made his debut.
It’s been a very solid start so far, as he’s added a new level of intimidation and another elite shutdown player on the brand new Maple Leafs defense.
He’s also brought fans together to admire not only his defensive prowess but how his size brings a certain X-factor when it comes to his game.
Simon Benoit happened to be the odd man out for the Maple Leafs defense when Jani Hakanpaa made his season debut, and it was for good reason.
Benoit looked two steps behind and wasn’t nearly as good as last season.