Brad Treliving reveals Calle Jarnkrok has suffered a setback in sports hernia recovery and will see a specialist

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Calle Jarnkrok experienced a setback in his recovery from a sports hernia and his return to the lineup remains a mystery.

Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving spoke with reporters after the team practiced on Monday and said Jarnkrok will travel to New York this week to meet with a specialist before determining next steps. This development comes after Leafs coach Craig Berube was asked on Saturday for an update on the 33-year-old’s recovery. Berube told them there was no specific target date for his return to action.

“It’s hard right now,” Berube said Saturday. “I can’t give you a timeline on him right now. He is still far away.”

It’s worth noting that Jarnkrok made more solo appearances before practices this past week, which seemed to indicate he was making progress in his recovery. It is unclear at the time of filing whether the setback occurred during on- or off-ice practice and how much more time he will miss.

It was Jarnkrok’s turn LTIR since the start of the regular season due to the aforementioned sports hernia. He had already seen it limited minutes in the preseason before He had a setback That has kept him on the sidelines indefinitely. Considering he already was a potential trade candidate Going into the season, this latest obstacle leaves you wondering about Toronto’s longer-term future. The Leafs are already dealing with it a tight lattice lump which they’ll try to resolve once Jani Hakanpaa and Auston Matthews are ready to return, so figuring out what to do when Jarnkrok returns will make the decision all the more difficult when the time comes.

In 52 games with the Leafs last season, Jarnkrok scored 21 points (10 goals and 11 assists) while going scoreless in seven playoff games. He has two years left on a four-year contract he signed with the Leafs in 2022, with an AAV of $2.1 million.