Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said Friday that forward Calle Järnkrok will be out week-to-week due to a hand injury. Winger Mitch Marner, who’s missed two games with a high ankle sprain, has also been ruled out for Saturday’s game against the Hurricanes (via Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun). It likely won’t be Marner’s last absence, either, as Keefe said he’ll need a bit to ramp up from the injury and won’t begin skating routinely until next week.
Järnkrok sustained the injury when he lost an edge and collided with the boards in last night’s 6-2 road drubbing of the Flyers. It’s unclear if this injury is related to the knuckle fracture that recently sidelined him for over a month. With 33 days remaining until the end of Toronto’s regular season schedule, there’s no guarantee Järnkrok will return before the postseason begins, especially if this hand injury is similar in severity to his previous one.
The 32-year-old is again giving the Leafs decent bang for their buck in a versatile top-nine role, posting above-average possession impacts with a 52.2 Corsi-for percentage at even strength and a career-high +10.2 expected rating. His actual +16 rating is third among Toronto forwards behind Marner and Auston Matthews. That’s helped offset a slight decrease in offensive production. He’s scored 10 goals and 21 points in 52 games, a slight decrease in pace from last year’s 20 goals and 39 points in 73 games, but he remains a decent plug-and-play option who can occupy all three forward positions and log significant minutes, averaging 15:15 per game.
With Järnkrok out, the team will likely give youngster Nicholas Robertson another shot in a top-nine role. The 22-year-old has eight goals and 19 points in 41 games this season while averaging 11:21 per contest, all career-highs, and didn’t look out of place on a strong third line with Bobby McMann and captain John Tavares during Järnkrok’s last extended absence. He’ll likely re-enter the lineup tomorrow for the first time since Feb. 29 against the Coyotes, after which he was briefly assigned to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies to create cap space and roster flexibility ahead of the trade deadline.
Leafs will be hanging on to get in.