Jarnkrok has three goals through his first five games with the Maple Leafs this season.
The Toronto Maple Leafs will make one lineup change for their Saturday night matchup against the Seattle Kraken.
Steven Lorentz, who's missed the last three games (two with an upper-body injury and one as a healthy scratch), will return to Toronto's lineup. Calle Jarnkrok will come out of the Maple Leafs' lineup because it's "a numbers game," head coach Craig Berube said on Saturday morning.
"Nothing more than that," he added.
Jarnkrok centered the first line during practice on Friday while captain Auston Matthews got a maintenance day. Lorentz skated on the fourth line alongside Nicolas Roy and Dakota Joshua.
Jarnkrok was having a strong start to the season with Toronto after missing most of last season due to having groin and sports hernia surgery. The 34-year-old scored three goals — the second-most goals on the team — in his first five games this year, all while playing on the Maple Leafs' fourth line.
Lorentz, who was also a part of that fourth line before going down with an injury, tallied two assists in the home-opener against the Montreal Canadiens, with one coming off Jarnkrok's first goal of the season.
Both Lorentz and Jarnkrok had a strong pre-season with Toronto, and it's clearly leaked into the early goings of the regular season. The numbers game, as Berube put it, will likely create an internal competition for lineup spots throughout the season.
"It's just part of being a team. We did it last year, too. There's guys that probably don't deserve to come out at times. But I think it's important we've got to use everybody," Berube said.
"I mean, try to use everybody. It's a tough schedule this year, like always, and you need 23 men. That's why they're here. So, I don't necessarily want just to change lineup to change in it. But I think it's important that we try to use everybody as much as we can."
Toronto's projected lines vs. Seattle:
Matthew Knies - Auston Matthews - Easton Cowan
Matias Maccelli - John Tavares - William Nylander
Nick Robertson - Max Domi - Bobby McMann
Steven Lorentz - Nicolas Roy - Dakota Joshua
Morgan Rielly - Brandon Carlo
Jake McCabe - Chris Tanev
Simon Benoit - Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Nick Robertson has appeared in every game this season, but has only one assist through that span. For most of this year, Robertson has played alongside Max Domi and Bobby McMann, with Berube stating on Saturday that line has played well in the minutes they've been given.
McMann has three points (two goals and one assist) plus a team-leading 22 hits, while Domi has one goal through five games.
"I think that line's been good for us," added Berube. "I think they're going to break through at some point."
Maple Leafs Reportedly Talking to Clubs About Possibly Trading Nick Robertson
Could Robertson be scratched once Steven Lorentz is healthy?
With all of that being said, what's the message for a player like Lorentz, who's set to draw into the fourth line alongside Joshua and Roy?
"Well, I think (pick up) where he left off. I thought he was playing really well. I thought he had a great camp. Start of the season, he was playing well. And then he took that hit, put him out for a couple," Berube said.
"But now he's back in. So I think he should take where he left off, in my opinion. He was going well."
Where to Watch
For those in Canada, you can find Saturday's matchup between the Maple Leafs and Kraken on Sportsnet. In the United States, Fubo Sports will carry the game. And for those worldwide, catch the game on DAZN.
Latest stories:
'Good Chance' Steven Lorentz Returns To Maple Leafs Lineup Against Seattle Kraken