The Toronto Maple Leafs will be without Calle Jarnkrok for the next two weeks at least, head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters including Luke Fox of Sportsnet. The utility forward is dealing with a groin injury suffered on Wednesday night. T.J. Brodie, who is also out with an injury, will accompany the team on their upcoming road trip but is not expected to play.
Jarnkrok, 31, signed a four-year deal with the Maple Leafs in the offseason and has done a little bit of everything for them this season. Recently, he had been lining up on his off-wing next to John Tavares and Mitch Marner, benefiting from the talented forwards for a handful of points. He likely hasn’t been quite the presence that the front office was hoping for, though, as through 25 games he has scored just nine points.
A two-week absence will open the door for someone else like Nicholas Robertson to play with the Tavares line, as the Maple Leafs try to keep their winning streak alive. The team has won five in a row and is now 8-0-2 in their last ten, one of the hottest groups in the league. Even so, they sit three points behind the Boston Bruins in the Atlantic Division chase, despite having played three more games.
With Jake Muzzin and Morgan Rielly both on long-term injured reserve, the team has plenty of cap flexibility to recall a player in Jarnkrok’s absence if they choose.
Does it look like the Leafs are trying to win the man-games-lost race this season?
;-) If the Flyers are ruled out of this contest because of having an unfair advantage: Why not?
On a more serious note: I hope all that injured players (no matter what team) get well soon. It’s a reminder that there are humans putting their health at risk, not least for us spectators.
@Grocery stick—I’d say both of those teams are “trading paint” in the corners right now. Early in the season, I asked @Gavin if he would end up reporting far more injuries this year than COVID updates in the past couple of years. It looks like it’s coming true, even though few of us want to see it, regardless of the team(s) you root for.