Calle Jarnkrok Gives the Leafs Options
The return of Calle Jarnkrok for the playoffs is a welcome sight for the Leafs, especially if William Nylander is absent from the lineup.
With Bobby McMann's questionable status nursing a lower-body injury, an injection of Jarnkrok into the lineup becomes more important.
Jarnkrok has been out for over a month with a hand injury, so he will require some time to get back into a groove. Intense, playoff hockey is not the optimal time to return from a long absence, but his flexibility can provide a boost for the team.
He is probably best suited to a third-line role, but he can capably fill a void within the top six forwards if needed on a short-term basis.
Should Nylander be able to play (this article was submitted before we knew whether he'd play in game three or not) Jarnkrok could provide some surprise offense and leadership. That helps the two-way play of the third line since Nick Robertson is still prone to critical mistakes that come from a young player.
The other added benefit of having Jarnkrok in the lineup is his ability to kill penalties.
He can be added to a rotation of David Kampf, Mitch Marner, Pontus Holmberg, and Connor Dewar in hopes of finding two reliable, shorthanded duos that can revive the Leafs floundering penalty-killing.