Toronto Maple Leafs send down two key players to the AHL

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced that two players, Jani Hakanpaa and Connor Dewar, will head to the AHL's Toronto Marlies for conditioning stints as they prepare to rejoin the NHL lineup.

Both Hakanpaa and Dewar started the season on Long-Term Injury Reserve (LTIR). Dewar, a forward, had shoulder surgery in the offseason, while Hakanpaa, a defenseman, sustained an injury late in the 2023-24 season while with the Dallas Stars. After months of recovery, they joined the Leafs last week for a two-game road trip, and now they'll get back up to speed with the Marlies before a full NHL return.

Hakanpaa who is known for his defensive style recorded 12 points in 64 games with Dallas last season and is expected to bring grit & depth to Toronto's blue line. The Leafs signed him to a one year $1.47 million contract on July 1st though his arrival was delayed by his injury.

Dewar, acquired by the Leafs from the Minnesota Wild at last season's trade deadline in exchange for Dmitry Ovchinnikov and a fourth-round draft pick, will likely find a spot in Toronto's bottom six forwards. Last season, he posted 14 points in 57 games with the Wild and added five more in 17 games after joining the Leafs. He signed a one-year, $1.18 million deal with Toronto this summer.

Their conditioning stints with the Marlies will allow both players to ease back into the game after extended time off, and fans are eager to see how they perform.

TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger reported Thursday that with injured players set to return the Toronto Maple Leafs may need to make further roster moves. Earlier in the week they traded defenseman Timothy Liljegren to address this issue.

It will be interesting to see how everything shapes out for the Maple Leafs going forward.

Stay tuned for more updates.

Rangers defenseman K'Andre Miller causes severe damage to Madison Square Garden scoreboard

Mike Reilly carried off the ice following a heavy hit from Jordan Greenway

Montreal Canadiens insider hints at an impending trade for fan favorite defenseman Arber Xhekaj

Leafs aggressively shopping veteran defenseman according to insiders

Insider Elliotte Friedman links the Edmonton Oilers to another $9M player

New York Islanders forward Brock Nelson linked to Stanley Cup contender

Former NHLer Alex Formenton files $20M lawsuit following the 2018 World Juniors scandal

New York Islanders send All-Star back home due to injury

Josh Anderson gets ejected after dominating Tom Wilson in a fight

NHL Player Safety Department officially suspends Colorado Avalanche forward