Calle Jarnkrok hurt in Maple Leafs practice, status to be determined

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The Maple Leafs could be without one of their more industrious forwards on Saturday. 

Winger Calle Jarnkrok took a shot off his hand at practice on Friday at the Ford Performance Centre and departed immediately, throwing his glove in frustration as he made his way to the dressing room. 

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Jarnkrok’s participation in Winnipeg against the Jets on Saturday in the Leafs’ last game before the National Hockey League all-star break was thrown into doubt.

“There is concern there for sure,” Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said. “We won’t know the extent of it until we give it a chance to settle down a little bit and get it looked at.”

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As such, Keefe could not say whether Jarnkrok would travel Friday afternoon with the team.

Jarnkrok is one of six Leafs to play in all 46 of the team’s games in 2023-24 and has been a consistent contributor on the third line with 10 goals and nine assists. He’s also a dependable member of the penalty-killing units. 

Tyler Bertuzzi was back on the second line with captain John Tavares and William Nylander after missing the Leafs’ 1-0 overtime win against the Jets to be with his wife for the birth of their son. 

With Bertuzzi returning, the Leafs had to make a roster move. Bobby McMann will go on injured reserve, Keefe said, because of an undisclosed injury.

“We had hoped it was going to improve over time, but it’s lingered enough that it was determined that extending his break would be helpful for him, so he’ll going on IR,” Keefe said. “We’re adding a few extra days — yesterday, today and tomorrow off the ice — to his break and hopeful that when we come back, he’ll be past this.”

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Ryan Reaves, who has not played since Dec. 14, filled Jarnkrok’s place with Max Domi and Nick Robertson on the third line for the rest of practice. That doesn’t necessarily mean Reaves, who has fully recovered from a kneecap injury and recently was activated from injured reserve, will play in Winnipeg. Keefe could choose to go with 11 forwards and seven defencemen.

At the least, any length of absence on the part of Jarnkrok would hurt the team.

“He’s very consistent in who he is, in terms of his details,” Keefe said. “You can play him anywhere in any position and he can help on power play and penalty kill. Very important player for us.

“He’s a guy that doesn’t get a lot of attention, but inside our room, I think he’s got a great deal of a respect that he has earned over how he plays the game.”

As expected, Keefe indicated that Ilya Samsonov will get the start in goal.

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