The Janitor reached a big milestone Monday night, playing in his 600th game in the National Hockey League.
Drafted by the Dallas Stars in the third round of the 2013 draft, he made his NHL debut on October 8th, 2015, scoring the game-winning goal in a 3-0 shutout of the Pittsburgh Penguins. He would score 15 goals and 29 points in 73 games in his rookie season, being a consistent 20-point man for many years in depth roles.
His time in Dallas lasted just four years, before signing as a free agent with the Chicago Blackhawks in October 2020, scoring 10 goals and 19 points in 41 games. He would be sent to the Vegas Golden Knights that season in a three-team deal, chipping in a goal and five points in 15 regular season games with them. He scored another four goals and eight points in 16 playoff games that year.
He re-signed in Vegas for the 2022-23 season, continuing to chip in regular offence, with 10 goals and 25 points in 67 games. The Golden Knights would let him walk to free agency after the 2021-22 season, joining the Oilers on a one-year deal for the 2022-23 season.
Janmark’s consistent game translated to Edmonton well, scoring 10 goals and 25 points in 66 games, as he earned another one-year deal. The 2023-24 regular season didn’t go so well for him, however, as for the first time he saw a drop off in his offensive production, scoring just four goals and 12 points in 71 games.
But whatever happened in the regular season was forgotten in the playoffs, as he became a key depth contributor, with four goals and eight points in their 25 playoff games. Two of those goals came shorthanded for the Oilers and he found ways to chip in during big games.
It earned Janmark stability for the first time in his career, as last summer he re-signed with the Oilers to a three-year, $1.45-million AAV deal. This season has been a rebound regular season for Janmark with the team, scoring a goal and 14 points in 43 games so far this season. His 12 even strength are tied for sixth on the team.
He’s carved out a solid career for himself as a depth player, and continues to contribute as such. According to Hockey Viz, despite generating offence at a 16 percent rate below league average, his best play comes in the Oilers’ end, where he contributes defence at a four percent rate above league average and penalty kill work at a three percent rate above league average.
Janmark becomes the 78th Swedish player to play 600 or more regular season games, and with 81 goals and 209 points, he’s one of 91 to score over 200 career points.
Zach Laing is Oilersnation’s associate editor, senior columnist, and The Nation Network’s news director. He also makes up one-half of the DFO DFS Report. He can be followed on Twitter, currently known as X, at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@thenationnetwork.com.
