Toronto Maple Leafs forward Calle Jarnkrok is having one of the worst seasons in recent history, yet it's not being talked about.
The 34-year-old forward has one year remaining on his contract, which carries a $2.1 million AAV, so it's not like he's making a ton. However, through 27 games this year, he only has five goals and zero assists. Any dellusional fan can look at that say, "That's not too bad, Stephen. He's still on a 15-goal pace for an 82 game season."
You'd technically be right, but in his last 23 games, Jarnkrok only has two goals, so that projection dips to a six goal campaign. As a veteran player, he's been able to establish himself on the fourth line alongside Scott Laughton and Steven Lorentz, but that price tag seems way too high for that production, especially since Lorentz and Laughton already add up to $2.8M combined.
I know that Laughton only has five goals and two assists, while Lorentz has four goals and five assists, but Jarnkrok's contract is the most expensive and one you should move.
Not only that, but Lorentz has a few years left on his deal while the Leafs traded a big asset for Laughton, so you can't move on from either of them. In addition to that, both Laughton and Lorentz play on the team's first penalty-kill so they're your prototpyical fourth-liners who don't need to score to be productive.
Leafs must trade or waive Calle Jarnkrok
As for Jarnkrok, the main reason the team signed him was to contribute offensively. The former 20-goal scorer has a fantastic shot and over 700 games of NHL experience, so he should be a tradeable asset.
Instead of paying $2.1M for a fourth-liner, the Leafs could and should elevate Jacob Quillan and give him a shot on the fourth-line. He has 27 points in 27 games with the Toronto Marlies this year and has some size at 6-foot-1, 210 pounds that could be useful beside Lorentz and Laughton.
At 23-years-old, he'd be an older rookie, which means he should be able to jump into the line-up easier, especially since he's been playing against older players since he started his university career in 2021.
Trading Jarnkrok may be easier said than done, but he's taking ice-time from a player who you can develop and might have a higher upside to score. At this point in his career, Jarkrok is essentially washed up and the team should trade him, even if it's for a seventh round pick.