The Maple Leafs are in a tough spot as they wait to see if Calle Jarnkrok can be their answer at third-line center.
Jarnkrok hasn’t played a single game this season after having sports hernia surgery. His return can’t come soon enough for Toronto, who’s really struggling to get any offense from their bottom two lines.
The pressure is mounting for the Leafs to make a trade before the deadline. They need someone who can spark their scoring depth – and fast.
But here’s the thing: they can’t really make any moves until they know what they’ve got in Jarnkrok. If he comes back strong, maybe they don’t need to shake things up with a trade. If he’s not ready, they’ll have to look elsewhere.
Time isn’t on their side. The trade deadline is getting closer, and Jarnkrok’s window to prove he can handle that third-line center role is getting smaller by the day.
It’s a gamble either way. Wait too long to see what Jarnkrok can do, and they might miss out on potential trade targets. Pull the trigger too early on a trade, and they could end up with an expensive backup plan they don’t really need.
