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He has practised with the Leafs鈥� extras, then sat in the press box, throughout the Stanley Cup playoffs.

鈥淚t’s just, it’s nice to be out with the boys,鈥� Hakanp盲盲 said in a recent interview. 鈥淵ou get a little extra pep in your step when you’re playing around with the fellas.鈥�

The six-foot-seven blueliner has played just two regular-season games as a Leaf, betrayed by a knee that simply was never healthy enough to play at the NHL level this season. It’s been months of rehabilitation, off-ice workouts and more surgery.

鈥淚t’s had its ups and downs,鈥� said the 33-year-old Hakanp盲盲, on a one-year contract worth $1.47 million (U.S.). 鈥淭here’s been good parts, too. You’ve got to enjoy the little victories every day, if something feels really good. You can improve on something and really take a lot of joy in that.鈥�

For this interview, he was sitting in his stall at the Ford Performance Centre, the team’s state-of-the-art practice facility staffed by some of the best trainers and therapists in the game. 鈥淚t’s a nice place to come to every morning, even though you know you’re not where you wanted to be,鈥� said Hakanp盲盲. 鈥淏ut coming in here, there’s some great people around that you can work with every single day. You get here, you get a nice cup of coffee, you have a good laugh, you know? So there’s a lot of worse things you can do in life.

鈥淥bviously it’s been trying, but I’m trying to keep that positive mindset and cheer the boys on as much as I can. I just get to enjoy the ride, I guess. Even though it might sound a little weird, but just do the work and enjoy everything else that comes with still being able to play hockey and get out there and have a good time with your teammates.鈥�

The two games he played were more than many people expected. He had arthroscopic knee surgery toward the end of the 2023-24 season, leaving him with bone on bone experience 鈥斅爉aking walking, let alone skating, a painful exercise.

The signing over the summer was a curious one. When healthy,聽Hakanp盲盲 is just the kind of defender Leafs general manager Brad Treliving covets: big and physical. But coming off surgery, there was risk. Initially, it was announced on July 1 that聽Hakanp盲盲 had agreed to a two-year term. But as word about the surgery and concern for his health spread, the ink was never put to paper.

It took all summer for a deal to get done, and in the end the Leafs committed one year to Hakanp盲盲. As things turned out 鈥� outside of those two games in November 鈥� he spent most of it on long-term injured reserve and needed another scope in December.

He’d pop up from time to time at practice. Whenever coach Craig Berube would be asked about Hakanp盲盲’s status, the response was along the lines of: He’s got to get through practice before he tries to get through a game.

In other words, the setbacks recurred.聽Hakanp盲盲 would miss more practices, work out on his own and return to the main group.

鈥淚 haven’t really set a hard timeline,鈥� he said of a possible return. 鈥淎s long as we’re moving forward, that’s really what we’re looking for. You always hope we can get out there as soon as possible, but there’s really no hard timeline on it. We’re just trying to chip away. As long as we’re making progress, we’re happy.鈥�

The healthy scratches have their role. First, they have to stay ready in case they’re called upon. Nick Robertson and David K盲mpf got that call for Wednesday’s Game 5 against the Florida Panthers in Toronto, and Robertson was the lone goal scorer in a 6-1 loss.

But it’s unlikely the Leafs would call on Hakanp盲盲, at least not with Philippe Myers and Dakota Mermis also staying ready.

Hakanp盲盲聽continues to skate just about every day. If there’s pain and discomfort, he’s not sharing it with the media. Only that smile. It becomes bigger when he allows himself to think that he might one day play in the NHL again.

鈥淭hat would be massive,鈥� he said. 鈥淕oing through this whole process here, you always have that as the final goal, to get back and then be able to keep going and play many games in a row. It would be massive.鈥�