Maple Leafs’ new additions provide Stanley Cup Playoff experience

OAKVILLE, Ontario -- When the Toronto Maple Leafs begin the 2024-25 season, the most noticeable changes to the team will be on defense and in goal.

Among the additions, there are two common themes: size and experience.

In addition to the 6-foot-2, 191-pound Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who signed a four-year contract, the Maple Leafs added defensemen Chris Tanev (6-2, 193) on a six-year contract and Jani Hakanpaa (6-7, 222) on a one-year contract, and goalie Anthony Stolarz (6-6, 243) on a two-year contract.

Each addition also possesses recent Stanley Cup Playoff experience. Though Hakanpaa’s knee injury and ensuing arthroscopic surgery ended his season with the Dallas Stars in March last season, forcing him to miss the playoffs, he and Tanev each were with the Stars when they lost to the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6 of the Western Conference Final. The season before, Hakanpaa played 15 playoff games for Dallas, which lost in Game 6 of the conference final to the Vegas Golden Knights.

Ekman-Larsson and Stolarz each won the Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers last season.

Forward Max Pacioretty (6-2, 217), who will attend Maple Leafs camp on a professional tryout, has been to the conference final three times in his career, twice with the Vegas Golden Knights (2020, 2021) and once with the Montreal Canadiens (2014).

“Hopefully (that Stanley Cup Playoff experience will bring) a lot,” defenseman Ekman-Larsson said at the Leafs & Legends Charity Golf Classic on Monday. “I think that’s why they brought us in. It’s nice knowing when you have gone through something like that, you can kind of bring it with you and, yeah, kind of let the guys see how hard you work every day and how hard it is to win a Cup and have that experience and share it with your teammates. That’s what I’m going to try to do.”

There is no doubt the Maple Leafs enter this season with one goal in mind: contend for the Stanley Cup. Those expectations are fine with Tanev, who grew up just east of Toronto.

“You want to be on a good team and you’re surrounded by good players with a lot of talent, so obviously being in Toronto comes with expectations,” Tanev said. “So, that’s what we will be ready for and work towards as camp starts.”

The idea is that collectively, the additions will make the Maple Leafs a more difficult team to play against, especially in the playoffs. Toronto has qualified in each of the past eight seasons but has advanced to the second round once, eliminating the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2023 Eastern Conference First Round. The Maple Leafs lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games in the first round last season.

With the majority of the roster having reassembled for informal skates the past two weeks, Stolarz said he has been getting questions about what it was like winning the Stanley Cup.

“A couple guys (have asked),” Stolarz said. “Mainly the staff, but I keep telling them, ‘Let’s do it again, run it back this year.’”

Hakanpaa was the last of the group to sign, agreeing to a one-year contract Sept. 11, though it is unclear at this point when he will be ready to play. He did not golf Monday out of caution as he continues his rehab; however, he quipped the reason for staying off the course was more so because his golf game is poor.

“We’re going to talk more about that tomorrow with the training staff, but hopefully as fast as possible,” Hakanpaa said. “You’re itching at this time. You’ve put a lot of work in and getting close, so now it’s just put the finishing touches on it and just get out there.”

The defenseman, who had 12 points (two goals, 10 assists) in 64 games for the Stars in 2023-24, said the knee injury is one that he will have to manage throughout this season, which begins at the Montreal Canadiens on Oct. 9.

Once he is ready, Hakanpaa believes his game will be a perfect fit for what the Maple Leafs are looking for.

“I bring a lot of good physicality and some good, solid defense play and some penalty killing specialties with me,” Hakanpaa said. “It’s something I take a lot of pride in and it’s for sure going to help the team as well.”