Jarnkrok Could Be Next Maple Leafs Player Traded

The Toronto Maple Leafs have over $5 million to still spend this offseason and only Nick Robertson to still sign. While I don't think that the team will use up all of their cap space this offseason and will actually wait to see what is needed during the season, that doesn't mean they still can't alter the roster a little more.

Calle Jarnkrok's first season with the Maple Leafs was a good one, but in the two seasons since, injuries have held him back and hurt his production. He scored 20 goals and 39 points in 73 games in 2022-23 for Toronto, but played only 52 games and 19 games in the two seasons since, scoring a combined 11 goals and 28 points in 71 games.

David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported that the Maple Leafs had a discussion with Jarnkrok and while he doesn't think Jarnkrok asked for a trade, Pagnotta doesn't believe the forward would be against one given the circumstances.

Robertson is going to need close to an everyday role in the Maple Leafs lineup next season when signed and players like Jarnkrok, David Kampf, and Steven Lorentz will be in the way of that because they should also play every day when healthy.

Jarnkrok is a solid third line player when healthy, but therein lies the problem. His cap hit is $2.1 million AAV for one more year and the 33-year-old has a 10-team no-trade list on his contract. It should be too difficult to trade him, but the teams at the bottom of the league that are used to taking in money, have already swooped up many players to help them get to the cap floor and fill roster spots.

There could be any number of teams Jarnkrok could be traded to ahead of the final year of his deal, including teams close to the cap who can send a depth player back in return. We'll see if the Maple Leafs are active at all for the remainder of the summer.