Calle Jarnkrok will make his season debut against Sharks

The veteran winger has yet to play during the regular season due to suffering a sports hernia injury during the preseason and then dealt with a setback during his recovery from a groin ailment. He had been skating regularly with the Leafs in practice since the team returned from the 4 Nations Face-Off break.

Jarnkrok was with the team during their four-game road trip and was seen taking reps on the third line during Saturday’s practice. He told reporters afterwards that he felt good during the practice and felt he wasn’t far removed from being given the green light to play.

“I feel great out there,” Jarnkrok said. “I’m just waiting for the last medical clearance here. I don’t know if it will be tomorrow or the next day or the day after that, but I’m really close.”

Getting Jarnkrok back in the fold will provide a big boost to the Leafs’ bottom-six which has struggled at times in finding an identity and some additional scoring. He is a guy that the team has used in many situations because is a versatile forward, whether that be reps alongside the big guns or in shutdown minutes. His return will not solve all of the Leafs’ needs going into the trade deadline as they need to improve their depth down the middle, but Jarnkrok should no doubt give them some additional secondary scoring that has been missing for most of the year.

His last healthy season was also riddled with injuries as he missed time during the 2023-24 campaign due to a hand injury. In the 52 games he did play, he recorded 21 points (10 goals and 11 assists) while going scoreless in seven playoff games.

Jarnkrok is in the third year of a four-year contract he signed with the Leafs on July 15th, 2022, which carries an AAV of $2.1 million.