If the Leafs are striving for playoff success, Jarnkrok has to go
While it's easy to cast stones at Mitch Marner, moving on from Calle Jarnkrok's contract should be just as big of a priority for the Maple Leafs this summer.
Yes, moving on from Marner and his 10.9 million dollar cap hit is a must this summer, but the Toronto Maple Leafs still need to look at their roster from top to bottom and rid themselves of underperforming players for change to really set in.
Jarnkrok signed a 4-year deal worth $8.4 million in the summer of 2022 and while his cap hit of $2.1 million isn't egregiously high, it's still a burden for a cap-strapped team like the Maple Leafs, especially when his performance has been subpar.
The soon-to-be 33-year-old veteran just finished his 11th season in the NHL and just his 2nd with the Maple Leafs. He scored 20 goals and 39 points in 73 games in 2022-23 before scoring 10 goals and 21 points in 52 games this past season. 30 goals and 60 points in 125 games are decent numbers for a secondary or tertiary option on the roster, but his playoff numbers are downright ghastly.
In totality, Jarnkrok has 5 goals and 22 points in 93 playoff games with the Nashville Predators, Calgary Flames, and the Toronto Maple Leafs. His best post-season campaign occurred in 2016-17 when the former Predator scored 2 goals and 7 points in 21 games before bowing out in the Stanley Cup Finals to Pittsburgh. While with the Maple Leafs, he has just 1 goal and 3 points in 18 contests, including 0 points and a minus-2 rating in their 7-game defeat to Boston this spring.
There are far more attractive options ahead of him in Auston Matthews, William Nylander, John Tavares, Matthew Knies, Max Domi, Tyler Bertuzzi, and Marner but for someone skating nearly 15 minutes a night and seeing power play time, more production is absolutely necessary, especially when some of the aforementioned attractive pieces are either injured or underperforming themselves.
Moving on from Jarnkrok's contract shouldn't be too problematic. There is always a market for a veteran forward who can score between 12-15 goals and 30-35 points while also playing on both special team units. He does carry a modified no-trade clause - in his instance, he has a 10-team no trade list - but it won't present any difficulties if the Maple Leafs are looking to move away from the Swede this summer.
| POLL | ||
15 MAI | 445 ANSWERS If the Leafs are striving for playoff success, Jarnkrok has to go Should the Leafs trade Jarnkrok this summer? | ||
| Yes, they need more youth | 219 | 49.2 % |
| No, he's still a solid bottom-6 option | 159 | 35.7 % |
| If he scored a little more, I'd say no | 67 | 15.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
