Maple Leafs Forward Admits He Hasn't Been Good Enough, Yet Calle Jarnkrok Is the One Benched
Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
The Toronto Maple Leafs scratched Calle Jarnkrok, but perhaps Craig Berube needed to scratch Dakota Joshua, who admitted he has been slow to start the season.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are going to try and make it three in a row against former assistant coach Lane Lambert and the Seattle Kraken, as they come into Scotiabank Arena for an East vs. West clash that's holds a lot of emotional implications given the MLB Playoffs between Toronto and Seattle.
The team is getting rugged forward Steven Lorentz back after he missed three games due to injury, and he is expected to line up on the fourth line, and though he missed practice yesterday, Auston Matthews leads the way.
But that means someone needs to be scratched, and surprinsigly the team decided to scratch Calle Jarnkrok, a player who has scored three goals already and has shown much more life than certain players.
'I Wouldn't Say It's Been the Best Start' - Dakota Joshua's Honest Self-Assessment
it caught fans off guard, and it seemed to catch his teammates off guard too. Dakota Joshua, who hasn't been off to a good start, admitted that perhaps Jarnkrok should be playing and he himself needs a reset:
I wouldn't say it's been the best start personally, but also just trying to work and find my fit within the team.
But as far as the squad goes, obviously we've had some good performances and some not so good ones.
I think just as a whole we are trying to find the consistency, and that also means the same for me to try and find the consistency to make an impact night in and night out.
But as far as the squad goes, obviously we've had some good performances and some not so good ones.
I think just as a whole we are trying to find the consistency, and that also means the same for me to try and find the consistency to make an impact night in and night out.
That being said, Joshua also understands he is coming into a new team with expectations that take some time to get acquainted with:
Everybody's playing with new people. So just trying to find that chemistry and gel and being on the same page for a whole 60 minutes. It makes a big difference, and the faster you can find that, the more successful you'll be.
Joshua was acquired this past offseason from Vancouver for a 2028 fourth-round pick and was expected to come in and be a physical force who can not only dish out pain, but some offense too.
Why the Maple Leafs Benched Calle Jarnkrok Instead
So far he has shown none of that with one assist in five games, with a minus-5 rating, and 10 hits. The physicality is somewhat there but he's a nightmare at 5v5 and has not been good whatsoever defensively.
It's a bit perplexing then that Berube would be willing to scratch someone who has been such a positive and keep Joshua in, though there may be a method behind it.
He knows that Joshua can improve and also knows what he can offer and wants him to use all of that size and strength to keep the puck down low, crash the net, and create havoc.
Jarnkrok, while healthy, is coming off a surgery last season and it would be best to manage his workload a bit as to not overwhelm him, and one game isn't going to make or break things; especially since he has been so good.
For Craig Berube it's all about matchups and wanting to give his team the best chance to win, which involves keeping Dakota Joshua in no matter how rough it's been.
Though it's up to the forward to give the coach every reason to keep believing in him.