Toronto Maple Leafs player bolts to Europe after disappointing season

After 14 seasons in the NHL, Calle Järnkrok appears to be done with the league. The 34-year-old inked a three-year deal with his hometown Brynäs IF in Sweden on Monday morning that will keep him out of the NHL until after the 2028-29 season. 

Järnkrok spent the last four seasons playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs, but also had stints with the Nashville Predators, Seattle Kraken, and Calgary Flames. 

Välkommen hem, Calle Järnkrok

Brynäs IF kan idag meddela att Calle Järnkrok efter 13 säsonger i Nordamerika vänder hem till Gävle för spel i Brynäs IF igen. Den 34-årige centern har skrivit på ett 3-årskontrakt som sträcker sig över säsongen 28/29. pic.twitter.com/sX292k1Mde

— Brynäs IF (@Brynas) August 31, 2026

Järnkrok was a second-round draft pick of the Detroit Red Wings back in 2010, but was traded to the Predators before playing a single game with the winged wheel. 

The veteran centreman had become a staple in the Leafs' bottom-six forward group ever since he was signed to a four-year deal in free agency back in the summer of 2022. Järnkrok managed to net a career-high 20 goals and 39 points in his first season with Toronto, but has been on a steady decline since then. 

Injuries limited him to just 19 games during the 2024-25 season, and that seemed to carry over into this latest season. In 56 games with the Leafs last year, Järnkrok managed just six goals and eight points. 

His contract was up this summer, and with no takers going into September, Järnkrok opted to ink a deal in his native Sweden, effectively ending his NHL career. 

Leafs GM John Chayka seems to have prepared for this possibility, having signed a plethora of depth forward pieces earlier in the summer, including Colton Sissons and Teddy Blueger, both of whom can play centre. 

We'll see if either player can prove to be an improvement over Järnkrok.