Calle Jarnkrok

Jarnkrok was by no means a league-winner in fantasy circles a season ago, but he did set new career-best marks in both goals (20) and points (39 in 73 games) in his first season in Toronto. This was despite averaging just 14:23 of ice time per game, his lowest mark since the 2014-15 campaign. At the heart of Jarnkrok's increased production was an unsustainable 18.9 shooting percentage. The Swede is a useful player with the ability to play wherever necessary in the lineup, but history tells us Jarnkrok is due for some regression in the scoring department in 2023-24.

A longtime member of the Predators, Jarnkork split last season between Seattle and Calgary. He again played his usual middle-six role for both clubs, posting 12 goals and 30 points in 66 games, numbers right in line with what we have come to expect from him. Jankrok entered unrestricted free agency this past summer, ultimately signing a four-year, $8.4 million deal with the Maple Leafs. It should prove to be an excellent value for the club if Jarnkrok can remain healthy, although he's unlikely to be a fantasy asset considering Toronto's forward depth.

Jarnkrok finished between 25 and 35 points in each of the last six seasons, emerging as a reliable middle-six option for the Predators. That wasn't enough for them to protect him in the expansion draft, and the two-way forward was scooped up by the Kraken to join their initial roster. The Swede posted a career-high 16:48 of ice time per game last season, and he played in all situations. With the Kraken's lack of center depth, Jarnkrok figures to play down the middle rather than on the wing as he did in center-rich Nashville. As long as it doesn't take him too long to adjust to his new team, the 29-year-old should be good for 30 points, 100 shots on goal and some second-unit power play usage, which would increase his appeal in deeper fantasy formats.

Jarnkrok is as steady as they come among third-liners, and he was stable with 34 points in 64 outings last year. The 29-year-old Swede has reached the 30-point mark in four of the last five seasons, which gives him a good chance to finish between 20 and 25 points during the 56-game, 2020-21 campaign. Jarnkrok's positive performance last year was boosted by his 1:48 of ice time per game on the power play, where he had nine of his points. If he can retain that kind of usage, he'll be significantly more attractive as a depth option in fantasy. The addition of Erik Haula to the Predators' middle six should also help Jarnkrok a bit more than Nick Bonino did last year.

The 2010 second-round pick saw a noticeable decrease in production last season, managing just 10 goals and 26 points in 79 games. In each of his prior three seasons, Jarnkrok posted at least 15 goals and 30 points. In 2017-18, he had 16 goals and a career-high 35 points despite playing just 68 contests. The 27-year-old Swede could be due for a bounceback season, though, as that decline in production can largely be attributed to him posting his lowest shooting percentage since 2014-15 -- 9.4 percent. If he's able to return to his career average of 11.4 percent, Jarnkrok should be able to pot 15-plus goals while totaling 30-plus points in 2019-20.

Jarnkrok was in the midst of a career season in 2017-18 when a dirty hit by the Jets' Andrew Copp on Mar. 13 put him on the sidelines until Game 4 of the Stanley Cup conference quarterfinals. Jarnkrok finished the regular season with a career-high 35 points (16 goals, 19 assists) and plus-20 rating. What's even more impressive is that those numbers were generated in a bottom-six role, with Jarnkrok often playing the wing on the third line alongside Nick Bonino and Scott Hartnell. Defensively, his 155 minutes were third highest on the team among forwards, a testament to his versatility. Looking ahead, expect Jarnkrok to reprise his bottom-six role with the team this season, either a as third-line wing or fourth-line center. This effectively puts a cap on his ability to score, however, so a repeat of last season's total is probably a reasonable expectation.

Jarnkrok cracked the 30-point barrier for the second consecutive season in 201-17, racking up 15 goals and 16 assists while centering the Predators’ third line. In fact, the Swedish pivot’s final stat line of 31 points (including four on the power play), 134 shots on goal and 15:44 of average ice time looked amazingly similar to the one he posted the year before, making him a good “what you see is what you get” candidate in deeper fantasy formats. The Preds are expected to run with Ryan Johansen and the newly acquired Nick Bonino as their top two centers to open 2017-18, but Jarnkrok’s edge in terms of youth and upside could lead to him leapfrogging Bonino for second-line duties in time.

Jarnkrok continued to show improvement in 2015-16, his third season with the Predators, posting career highs of 16 goals and 14 assists over 81 games. A center by trade, he was much more effective after being bumped up to wing duty on the first line in February, scoring 16 points over his last 31 regular-season games – perhaps one of the stronger considerations in the Preds signing him to a six-year extension this summer. If he can stick on the first line with the likes of Ryan Johansen and James Neal, Jarnkrok has a good shot at a 40-plus-point campaign, but it seems more likely that Filip Forsberg will take that slot while Jarnkrok centers the third unit. Still, the potential for top-six minutes and power-play time makes the Swede a good late-round upside pick in fantasy drafts.

Coming into last season, expectations for Jarnkrok were high after the Preds acquired him from Detroit in the David Legwand trade the year before. However, with just 18 points in 74 games last season, Jarnkrok was somewhat of a disappointment. To be fair, with the likes of James Neal, Mike Ribeiro, Mike Fisher, and Filip Forsberg occupying the Preds’ top two lines, Jarnkrok had little chance of landing a top-six spot, and he spent most of the season playing a checking-line role. This season, with the departures of Matt Cullen and Mike Santorelli, Jarnkrok will likely cement his status as a bottom-six player for the Preds, and could even see the occasional shift playing on a scoring line should the opportunity arise.

The centerpiece of the deal that sent David Legwand to Detroit, Jarnkrok, 22, could turn out to be a real steal for Nashville. After notching nine points in six games for AHL Milwaukee, the young center was recalled by the Preds and chipped in nine points over 12 games down the stretch, including three points in the season finale against Minnesota. Jarkrok projects as a solid playmaking center with excellent puck control who can play on either of the team’s top two lines. However, the Preds are now stacked down the middle, so Jarnkrok could very well start this season back in the AHL. Nevertheless, he has a very bright future in the NHL, and it’s just a matter of time before he lands as an everyday player.

Jarnkrok hopes to get a shot at the Red Wings' roster in 2012-13 after spending a little time in the AHL last season, but is likely still a year or two away from making the big leagues.