The Toronto Maple Leafs are certainly in a bit of a cap crunch heading into the 2023-24 season. New Maple Leafs General Manager Brad Treliving has already made the bulk of his offseason moves, but is more to come? With Toronto needing to clear around $2,943,950 prior to the season per Capfriendly.com, should the Maple Leafs move on from Calle Järnkrok?
Maple Leafs forward Calle Järnkrok was signed last offseason to a four-year deal that carries an average annual value of $2,100,000. On a cap-strapped Maple Leafs team, this deal first came as a surprise given the term. However, The 31-year-old forward had a strong season in the goal department, scoring twenty goals while adding nineteen assists for thirty-nine points.
If you look behind the counting stats, Calle Järnkrok had an interesting season in his first year in Toronto. Primarily playing in a top-six role, Calle Järnkrok performed well on either one of Toronto’s first or second lines, playing with Auston Matthews or John Tavares. Although Calle Järnkrok was serviceable in the top six, many fans believed the 31-year-old’s profile better suits the bottom-six the way last year’s team was constructed. Fast forward to Calle Järnkrok’s time in a lesser role; his production was not nearly the same, and he struggled to find a groove on the third line.
When considering the Maple Leafs are going to have to make at least some sort of move prior to the season, it’s easy to see how Calle Järnkrok’s name might be thrown into some rumors. If you’re planning to play Calle Järnkrok in the bottom-six, most fans might be more interested in trading the 31-year-old, given that he struggled in that same role last season.
However, it’s not that simple. When looking at the full picture for that Maple Leafs team in 2022-23, Calle Järnkrok was originally penciled in to start the season on the third line, but with numerous injuries early on, that caused Maple Leafs Head Coach Sheldon Keefe to get creative. Calle Järnkrok’s play last season kept the Maple Leafs in a safe territory, providing some secondary scoring. Given the four-year commitment to Calle Järnkrok, it was encouraging to see the veteran forward slide up to the top-line in a pinch and provide serviceable results.
Calle Järnkrok’s importance last season might be heavily overlooked, which is why I’m more inclined to keep him in blue and white. Not only is it nice to have a twenty goal scorer and one who can play all three forward positions hanging around, but Calle Järnkrok is also signed for a reasonable cap hit with some term. If the Maple Leafs run into trouble again like last season, having Calle Järnkrok’s offensive upside will be an advantage.
Depth scoring is more important now than ever in today’s National Hockey League. It’s no longer a secret, to win the Stanley Cup, you’re going to need contributions from all over your lineup, which is why a player like Calle Järnkrok could be important. Given the uncertainty of Nick Robertson, depth scoring in the bottom-six is quite thin, which is why playing Calle Järnkrok in an elevated role and dropping another player onto the third line just might maximize this team’s potential.
At first, that might seem extreme, but having these potential options will be important for Sheldon Keefe. Obviously, the main situation here to note is what happens with William Nylander? If Maple Leafs General Manager Brad Treliving decides to trade William Nylander, Calle Järnkrok’s value on this team should rise.
Calle Järnkrok might be the easy solution to move on paper, but it’s important that all these situations are considered. Calle Järnkrok could be a nice complimentary piece in 2023-24 that helps take this team on a deep postseason run. Oftentimes, when looking at Stanley Cup Winners, each roster always has those middle-six players who find ways to lift that championship team. Using his offensive awareness and strong play with the puck, Calle Järnkrok could eventually be that player for Toronto.
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