Toronto Maple Leafs forward Calle Jarnkrok leaves Wednesday’s game with groin injury

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Calle Jarnkrok made an early exit from Wednesday’s game against the San Jose Sharks after suffering a groin injury, the club announced.

Jarnkrok, 31, logged 9:04 and came away with a minus-one rating against the Sharks at Scotiabank Arena. He finished his last shift with 6:51 remaining in the second period and did not join the Maple Leafs on the bench for the third.

Maple Leafs forward Calle Järnkrok will not return to tonight’s game (groin).

— Leafs PR (@LeafsPR) December 1, 2022

Entering Wednesday’s action, Jarnkrok had five goals and nine points in 24 games to begin his first season in Toronto. The 5’11” forward signed a four-year, $2.1 million AAV contract to join the Maple Leafs this past July.

The Detroit Red Wings originally selected Jarnkrok in the second round (No. 51 overall) of the 2010 NHL Draft. The Gävle, Sweden product never played for the Red Wings before being traded to the Nashville Predators in 2014.

Jarnkrok began his NHL career with parts of eight seasons in Nashville, helping the team reach the 2017 Stanley Cup Final along the way. The Seattle Kraken ultimately claimed Jarnkrok from the Predators during the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft.

The Calgary Flames acquired Jarnkrok from the Kraken as part of their trade deadline push in March 2022. He played out the rest of the season in Calgary before signing with Toronto in the summer.

In 599 career NHL games with Nashville, Seattle, Calgary, and Toronto, Jarnkrok has scored 111 goals and 250 points. He’s added four goals and 19 points in 75 playoff contests with the Predators and Flames.

The Maple Leafs and Sharks are currently tied at one late in the third period at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.