Pontus Holmberg has played 91 career NHL games and each one has been coached by Sheldon Keefe. Next season, Holmberg will enter some uncharted waters as Craig Berube will be behind the bench. Look for the 25-year-old forward to try and make an impression at training camp.
How exactly Berube will deploy Holmberg is the million-dollar question, or in Holmberg’s case, an $800,000 question, a figure that is certainly going to come into play. Holmberg’s cheap average annual value (AAV) certainly works in his favour. The Maple Leafs are very top-heavy when it comes to their salary cap and having players like Holmberg, who are on the cheap, will be important to mix in to balance out the roster financially.
Circling back to last season, Holmberg appeared in a career-high 54 NHL games, recording seven goals and 10 assists. He played an average of 11:34 of ice time a game, which included just under a minute per game on the penalty kill. He landed 51 hits, blocked 42 shots and won 46% of the 203 faceoffs he took. It’s quite likely Holmberg will surpass all of these totals next season and take a step forward. Of course, if he can win over his new coach in September. Despite enjoying a cup of coffee on the Leafs’ top line throughout the early stages of last season, Holmberg spent most of his playing time within the bottom six, which is perfectly suited for his playing style.
How exactly can he grab Berube’s attention? Winning battles and taking care of the puck will certainly be a start. Berube should be a big fan of Holmberg’s game. The 2018 sixth-round pick plays with a defensive-first mindset and while he’s never one to throw open ice hits or run defensemen through the end boards, Holmberg doesn’t get pushed off the puck easily, he’s hard on the forecheck, strong on his feet and he can be a tough player to play against. That’s all Berube wants. Work ethic and some pushback, and Holmberg certainly brings these elements to the table.
Holmberg’s versatility will come in handy
As far as lineup construction goes and where exactly Holmberg fits into the puzzle, it’s hard to say at this point. The decision will be influenced significantly by what Berube does with Max Domi. Should Domi start the season as the Maple Leafs’ second-line centre, pushing John Tavares down a line, that’s going to impact Holmberg in a major way as he’d slide out of the third-line centre role and likely to left wing on the fourth-line.
If Domi starts on the wing and Tavares stays in the two hole, then Holmberg likely starts the season centring the third line, alongside Calle Jarnkrok and one of Bobby McMann, Nick Robertson or perhaps top prospect Easton Cowan.
Either way, having a player like Holmberg who is versatile enough to play the wing or down the middle gives Berube some flexibility and versatility with his lineup. Injuries are going to creep into the picture at some point, there’s also going to be some juggling to the lineup to get some players going at some point. Holmberg’s a bit of a Swiss army knife, which is something that will appeal to Berube and the coaching staff. When it comes to internal competition, Holmberg’s main ‘rival’ is likely Connor Dewar, based on the fact Dewar can also fill in at centre. McMann, Robertson, Cowan and Ryan Reaves are also in the mix, but again, no one in this group will be playing centre.
Fraser Minten is a bit of a wildcard when it comes to Holmberg’s future. Minten plays a similar style and it’s going to be interesting to see how these two battle it out on the depth chart for years to come. At this point. Holmberg has a leg up with almost 100 games of experience under his belt.
Nevertheless, Holmberg and his $800,000 salary are in the mix for a roster spot next season, but at this point, it’s certainly far from a lock. Where exactly Domi and Tavares fall into the Leafs’ lineup plays a major factor, and so too does the play of Toronto’s rookie duo in Cowan and Minten. The internal competition will be intense at training camp and into the preseason. Holmberg will need to be a shut-down force defensively if he’s going to have any chance at being a regular in Berube’s lineup.
