Important Trade Stalls as Maple Leafs Dangle Bottom-Six Forward

The Toronto Maple Leafs are still looking for a solution to their bottom-six surplus, and veteran forward Calle Järnkrok remains at the center of trade discussions. Unfortunately, according to The Fourth Period, trade talks surrounding the 33-year-old winger have failed to gain momentum.

They write:

“He has a $2.1M cap hit and owns a 10-team no-trade list. The market hasn’t been vibrant, to this point, but the Leafs will continue to dangle him.”

Why Can’t the Maple Leafs Find a Taker For Jarnkrok?

Järnkrok has quietly been on the trade block for much of the offseason, but general manager Brad Treliving has yet to find a taker. After adding several depth forwards this summer, the Leafs now face a crowded bottom six—and Järnkrok’s age, injury history, and $2.1 million cap hit through 2025–26 aren’t helping his value.

Since joining Toronto, Järnkrok has appeared in only 71 games over two seasons, scoring a modest 28 points. While his defensive versatility and penalty-killing ability are assets, his declining offensive production and durability concerns have made teams wary.

With training camp approaching, the Maple Leafs may be forced to keep Järnkrok on the roster—or retain salary in a deal—if they want to create space and flexibility. Dropping his cap hit down to just over $1 million would open up the market a little.

Until then, the Swedish forward remains a trade candidate in limbo. This isn’t great news as moving Jarnkrok from the roster is an important item on the team’s to-do list. Treliving would like more cap space, and with Jarnkrok and David Kampf both still on the roster, it hampers the GM’s ability to do other things.