Talking about injuries in the NHL is a tough scene, as one out of the blue can change everything for a player and team. Unfortunately, this is the case for both the Toronto Maple Leafs and veteran forward Calle Jarnkrok.
Given the injury history of Jarnkrok since joining the Leafs as a free agent in 2022, what he could have provided to the bottom six was derailed. While it certainly wasn't his fault, let's break down how the injured reserve saw Jarnkrok more than the ice.
As mentioned before, the Swede was a free agent when he inked a four-year, $8.4 million contract in 2022, coming off a split season with the Seattle Kraken, the newest team at the time, and the Calgary Flames. That year, he recorded 26 points (12 goals, 14 assists) in 49 games for the Kraken and four points (all assists) in 17 games for the Flames to close the season out.
At that point, it was Jarnkrok's fifth 30-plus point season in seven years. When signed, the deal didn't seem too bad as he wasn't expected to put up ground-breaking numbers like the league's best, but to at least act as a depth piece to a Leafs roster that seems to always need an under-the-radar guy down low.
His first year in the blue and white is the best he's had in his career up to now. In 73 games played, Jarnkrok tallied 39 points (20 goals, 19 assists), which was a help as he helped the bottom of the lineup by almost reaching 40 points. He had only missed a short time with an illness and a groin injury, but saw the majority of the season.
Unfortunately, this is where the production would start to slow down, and the injuries start to pile up. In the 2023-24 season, the stats dipped a bit as he only finished with 21 points (10 goals, 11 assists) in 52 games played. He missed some time with a neck injury and a hand injury that kept him out for over a month, resulting in fewer games.
The next two seasons would then go on to prove that the injuries had caught up to him, as he only played 19 games in the 2024-25 campaign while recording 7 points (one goal, six assists). Jarnkrok dealt with a major lower-body injury that put him on the long-term IR for six months, which was the main factor for those 19 games played.
Last season wasn't bad at all as he played 56 games, but only tallied eight points (six goals, two assists). Nonetheless, it seemed like the injuries from before might have left Jarnkrok in discomfort as he never really touched the near 40-point mark he had reached in his first year on the team.
Calle Jarnkrok had 'John Tavares' potential in the bottom six
As crazy as it might sound, Jarnkrok could have very well been the third or fourth line version of John Tavares. Of course, he wouldn't have recorded as many points as Tavares on the scoresheet; he would've still complemented the top six by putting up the same sub-40 points and leading in other aspects.
It is unfortunate that we didn't see Jarnkrok produce as much as he did in his first year with the Leafs, mainly due to injuries. While he is currently a UFA, the team has very much revamped their depth, adding pieces such as Nick Paul, Brandon Duhaime, Teddy Blueger and Colton Sissons to possibly provide what Jarnkrok couldn't have in the last couple of seasons, leaving no room for the 34-year-old. While it wasn't his fault, it's crazy to think about what could have been without the injuries.
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