Toronto Maple Leafs forward Calle Jarnkrok got into the lineup for the first time in the regular season on Monday against the San Jose Sharks.

After missing the first five months due to a sports hernia and then a setback via a groin injury, Jarnkrok was activated off LTIR to play in his 700th career regular-season game. He played on the fourth line with David Kampf and Connor Dewar, recording 8:23 of ice time, two hits, a 60% CF and a 60% SCF.

While he was far from his best given the amount of time he had been absent from the team, it was a step in the right direction for the forward who came into the preseason as one of the Leafs’ more dependable options in their bottom-six.

“Pretty good. It took a while to get going.  Timing a little off, thought it got a little better as the game went on,” Jarnkrok told reporters after the game on how he felt his season debut went. “It’s usually one game, and then you’re kind of back in it. But you just got to get that first one out of the way.”

With that first game under his belt, Jarnkrok now has a baseline to build off as he looks to continue reintegrating himself with the rest of the team. Jarnkrok may have been around the players during recent practices, but having them right back out on the road is certainly going to pay dividends in getting him back up to speed.

He is ready to be used in whatever role is asked of him by head coach Craig Berube and the coaching staff while reestablishing his place as the reliable two-way forward he has been when healthy.

“ A little bit, for sure,” Jarnkrok said regarding if he had any nerves before the game. “ It’s been a while. It’s been a long time since I played a regular season game, pretty much a year I think.  It was a little nervous in the beginning, but it got over pretty quick and it was nice to be back.”

While the night for him and the Leafs ended on a sour note with them losing to the Sharks in the shootout, where they blew a third-period lead for the first time this season, the players were pumped to see Jarnkrok back in the fold. Given all that he had gone through with injuries dating back to last season, the players could tell how much it meant to the 33-year-old forward to finally feel healthy enough to play again.

“ We’re really excited for him.  It’s obviously been a difficult year, and just having to come to camp, you’re all excited and feeling the way he was feeling and then have to go through the process he went through,” forward John Tavares said. “ But he’s worked really hard. A big part of our team plays a really valuable role. It’s an unsung hero type of role for us. Happy he’s back.”

“Means a lot,” forward Matthew Knies added. “ Great player. Can play anywhere, play any position, and you can get a lot from him.  He’s important to this group for sure.”

Now that Jarnkrok has gotten the first game under his belt, you can expect to see his minutes slowly ramp up and occasionally be slotted alongside the stars for a shift or two, depending on the situation. Rust was going to be expected in his first NHL game since May 4th, but now he can use Monday’s performance as a building block to work his way back to full strength and be a factor for the Leafs down the stretch.

While Jarnkrok won’t be relied upon to provide the offence, it certainly helps to add another weapon back into the fold who can chip in when needed while also doing the other valuable things he brings to the team.

“I thought Jarny had a good game. Late in the game, I put him and Kampf out there with Willy. They had a couple of good shifts,” Berube said. “He is always in the right position. He has a great hockey IQ. He skated well tonight, I thought. He was on pucks. He was tenacious. He made some good plays. He skated really well tonight for me.”

Jarnkrok and the Leafs will look to get back on track when they face the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday, with puck drop scheduled for 10 p.m. EST.