Sheldon Keefe reveals his reasoning behind Pontus Holmberg's promotion to the top-six with Matthews sidelined
Today, we heard the unfortunate news that Auston Matthews will be out for a minimum of three weeks with a knee sprain. But with injury comes opportunity. Rookie center Pontus Holmberg has been moved to the team's second line, where he projects to play between William Nylander and Calle Jarnkrok.
When asked about the promotion, Sheldon Keefe told the media that Holmberg has impressed since being called up, both offensively and defensively. There's no question that this is a huge opportunity for Holmberg to show the Leafs' coaching staff what he's capable of when playing higher in the lineup.
Holmberg made his NHL debut on November 2nd earlier this season. Since being called up, he has become a main stay in the Leafs lineup. At one point, Keefe gave him the ultimate compliment, saying that when he watches the tape back he has a difficult time finding a mistake made by the young Swede.
In 30 games so far this season, the 23-year-old has scored 5 goals and added 7 assists, all while only averaging 10 minutes and 21 seconds of ice time per game, primarily playing on the team's fourth line. Additionally, Holmberg plays a sound defensive game. Tonight, he will get a chance to showcase his skill set higher in the lineup with some skilled linemates. I'm sure we're all curious to see how he handles the increased workload.
