What Does Calle Jarnkrok Bring to the Maple Leafs?

Other than the complete change in the goalies, have the Toronto Maple Leafs really made any radical changes to this point in the offseason? 

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Reviewing the Maple Leafs’ Situation So Far

From where I sit looking at what’s happened, the last offseason the organization reviewed where it was. It then set out to create a shutdown third line by getting David Kampf and using him as the foundation. It worked.

This offseason, it looks to me as if Maple Leafs’ general manager Kyle Dubas set out to create a fourth line that works – perhaps that has a personality. He signed Nicolas Aube-Kubel and Adam Gaudette immediately when the offseason began. Last week he added Zach Aston-Reese on a PTO. I have to think that Aston-Reese will make the team. 

In addition, there was an invitation to Toronto Marlies’ forwards to be prepared to fight for jobs on the Maple Leafs’ roster in training camp. As Dubas noted – there would be jobs open.

So the fourth line’s going to be the work in progress for this season.

Now, What About Jarnkrok?

Where does Jarnkrok fit into the scheme of things? Given the fact that Dubas signed him to a four-year contract; and, given Jarnkrok’s history, there’s something planned for him. This is not one of the Maple Leafs’ reclamation projects. There’s something about Jarnkrok that Dubas wanted. Hence, the long-term contract.

Maple Leafs sign Calle Jarnkrok as Dubas continues to re-shape bottom six forwards https://t.co/OCGBiQJ9Ty Via @koshtorontosun pic.twitter.com/unTzNkEwd2

— Toronto Sun (@TheTorontoSun) July 16, 2022

Jarnkrok has had a decent career. He’s played 574 regular-season NHL games and 75 postseason games. He’s scored 106 regular-season goals and added 135 assists (for 241 points). Last season, until he was dealt to the Calgary Flames at the trade deadline, Jarnkrok was scoring at a 20-goal pace. So he could add secondary scoring.

But, even if Jarnkrok has the potential to be a 20-goal scorer, I don’t think that’s the attraction for the Maple Leafs. It’s his defense that’s attractive.

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The Maple Leafs Want Jarnkrok for His Defensive Abilities

Similar to David Kampf, as I noted early in this post, it’s Jarnkrok’s defensive use that would seem to be the attraction. He’s the kind of player a team can trust to start deep in his own team’s defensive zone, when the pressure is on, and limit the damage.

He logs a lot of defensive zone starts. His underlying analytics are excellent. He knows how to keep the other team from scoring.

It would seem that, if fans are looking for a player out and a player in that scenario, it would seem that Jarnkrok would be replacing Ilya Mikheyev who signed with the Vancouver Canucks. He’d be replacing Mikheyev on the right wing of the third line, where he’d be playing with Kampf (at center) and Pierre Engvall (at left wing). 

Or, with the addition of Aston-Reese, it might mean that Engvall jumps to the left-wing spot on the second line and have the third line (or would it be the fourth line now?) include Kampf at the center, Jarnkrok at right wing, and Aston-Reese at left wing. 

Watch for Jarnkrok to Be Called on When the Going Gets Tough

We’ll see. Whether he’s nominally on the third line or the fourth line, what does it matter? He’ll be on whatever line is needed when the play is stopped and the Maple Leafs need to send out a unit that has the best chance to stop the other team from scoring quickly. 

Call it the fourth line or the third line if you will. It matters little. But, what does matter is that it’s called goal prevention for the Maple Leafs. That’s the job Jarnkrok will be called upon to do.

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