Toronto Maple Leafs forward Calle Jarnkrok underwent groin and sports hernia surgery Monday and is listed as month-to-month, the team announced Monday.
Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving previously revealed on November 11 that Jarnkrok experienced a setback in his recovery from a sports hernia and would travel to New York to visit a specialist.
Jarnkrok hasn’t played in the 2024-25 season and was placed on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) prior to the start of the season. He was initially paired alongside Max Domi and William Nylander to begin the preseason, with the idea of him bringing a defensive presence to an offensive-minded second line. Jarnkrok suffered the injury during the preseason, and he will now be out indefinitely, while the Maple Leafs work through a surplus of professional-calibre forwards on the roster.
“He’s gotta get it fixed and he’ll be out a while. It’s too bad, because he’s a player we liked and can help us and really haven’t had that opportunity to do that,” Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said Monday via TSN’s Mark Masters.
Jarnkrok posted 21 points (10 goals and 11 assists) in 52 regular season games during the 2023-24 regular season campaign, while being held scoreless in seven playoff games. He has two years remaining on a four-year contract he signed with the Leafs in 2022, which carries an AAV of $2.1 million each season.
This updates the timeline on Jarnkrok’s recovery and the Maple Leafs can prepare for a few adjustments to the lineup, with Ryan Reaves set to a serve a five-game suspension, after delivering an illegal hit to the head on Edmonton’s Darnell Nurse during Saturday’s game.
Auston Matthews will miss Wednesday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights, Berube confirmed Monday. Matthews will now miss a seventh consecutive game, and could return to the lineup Sunday when the Maple Leafs host the Utah Hockey Club. Toronto has compiled a 5-1 record in Matthews’ absence, and the Maple Leafs are now tasked with closing out November without three roster regulars among the forward corps.
