Toronto will begin the NHL season without experienced center John Tavares. This could mean opportunities for the new Swedes at the club.
The 32-year-old, who played 949 games and scored 895 points, picked up an oblique muscle strain in a training match against Ottawa and will be out for at least three weeks.
This means he is likely to miss the opening four matches. Toronto opens this year’s season on October 12 against Montreal.
– He’s a big part of our team and that means the system is clearly changing. But we’ve done it without specific players in the past, so for the rest of the training camp it’s just going to be an extra opportunity for other players to step up and fill that space, coach Sheldon Keefe told the NHL website.
One of them may be striker Kaley Yarnrock, who signed last summer for four years after shorter sessions in Seattle and Calgary after many years in Nashville. Järnkrok showed he was eager to make an impact in his first training game, scoring both goals for Toronto in a 2-4 loss to Ottawa. Another blue and yellow option is 23-year-old rookie Pontus Holmberg, who has replaced Tavares in training.
Two other Swedes injured in Toronto, Timothy Lilligreen and Pierre Ingevall, are likely to be healthy again at or near the start of the season.
In the club is also available William Nylander and Karl Dahlstrom. Rasmus Sanden is said to be negotiating a new contract, while goalkeeper Eric Calgren appears set to set out for the farm club.