With Tyler Bertuzzi and His Wife Expecting Child, Maple Leafs' Pontus Holmberg Prepares For Possible Top Six Assignment Against Jets
Holmberg was moved back to the Maple Leafs' fourth line on Sunday after four games within the top six.
Pontus Holmberg could return to the Maple Leafs' top six when they take on the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday.
The 24-year-old skated alongside John Tavares and William Nylander at practice on Tuesday afternoon in place of Tyler Bertuzzi, who missed practice as he and his wife, Ashley, expect their second child.
Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said following practice that the team doesn't know if Bertuzzi will be available on Wednesday but that they're preparing to have Holmberg remain on Tavares' wing, just in case.
Holmberg has seven points in his last nine games with Toronto. He was moved to Auston Matthews' line with William Nylander on Jan. 14 against the Detroit Red Wings.
Nylander was then moved back to the second line, with Mitch Marner replacing him on Matthews' wing against Edmonton. Holmberg remained with one of the NHL's top duos for two more games before returning to Toronto's fourth line with David Kampf and Noah Gregor on Sunday against the Seattle Kraken.
Holmberg has been one of the Maple Leafs' top forwards this season when it comes to advanced metrics. His 52.96 xGF% at five-on-five is the fifth-best among all forwards on Toronto, only behind Nylander (54.30), Matthews (54.56), Tavares (55.04), and Bertuzzi (57.61), according to NaturalStatTrick.com.
He's developed a lot in his short time up with the Maple Leafs, and it's something that hasn't gone unnoticed by Keefe.
"I think that's part of what we wanted to come out of Holmberg's time playing up with Matthews is, what does that look like against some harder competition, and playing with better players," he said on Tuesday.
"First of all, to start playing him on left wing a little bit when he first came up here, on whether it's the third or fourth line. And then, giving him time when I thought (Matthew Knies) needed a little bit of a reset and a breath.
"It was a chance for Holmberg to kind of get some reps up there, and I thought he did a good job of it and should give him great confidence and definitely added flexibility for us."
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