Ahead of Tuesday’s game against San Jose, Sheldon Keefe discussed the plan with Ilya Samsonov, Joseph Woll’s return to skating, Pontus Holmberg remaining in the lineup, and the message to Nick Robertson as he sits out games.
What is your sense of how Martin Jones is handling the workload and how much more you can keep giving him?
Keefe: He is handling it great. He handled it great, certainly, on the road trip. There hasn’t been much of a workload in the last little bit. Going into the game, he has only played one game in the last five days. From that aspect, I think he is feeling good, rested, and confident. It’s an easy decision to keep him going.
What is the outlook or plan for Ilya Samsonov going forward?
Keefe: We are going to take it a day at a time. He is on the ice at Marlies practice today. That is a step for him. He has been skating on his own and spending some time to himself. That is the plan.
Is there a chance Samsonov plays down with the Marlies?
Keefe: Tre is going to make those decisions. He is leading the charge on his path and plan. Today was a progression for him. Beyond that, I am not quite sure what the plan is there.
Joseph Woll was on the ice this morning. Is there a timeline for him?
Keefe: No timeline. This is day two for him. He skated yesterday as well. It was great to see him back out there for sure. He is a ways away for sure.
With Martin Jones starting as your number-three goalie this season, it’s another example of a league-wide trend. A lot of teams are using three, four, or even five goalies in a season. What does it say about the volatility at the position right now in the game?
Keefe: We have used a lot of goalies since I have been here, too. This is not a new thing. When I was with the Marlies, there might have been one season when we had seven guys register a win before Christmas. I am used to having to deal with this a little bit. It is not necessarily a new thing.
Getting to three, four, or five is one thing, but I think it has become very apparent that the vast majority of the league is using two regularly and needing two. Depth is extremely important to be able to handle whatever comes your way.
We are also seeing that some guys can unexpectedly give you far better than you [thought]. Whether it is a young guy coming in or an older guy who is rebounding back, it is all just unpredictable. You try to set yourselves up for success as much as you can, which is what I think Tre has done for us with our group having Jones in the mix.
Brad Treliving mentioned that there is room for growth with William Nylander’s leadership. How have you seen him evolve in that area, and where else can he go?
Keefe: First of all, he has taken a step already from where he has been. He is more vocal on the bench. Probably the biggest thing for a lot of guys who are so important to the team and play as much as they do is the leadership on the ice. It is the habits, the work ethic, and being the example. I think that is where he is leading the way in all of the things that we want to do. On a lot of nights, he has put the team on his back.
Whether it is him, Auston, Mitch, or John, these guys take on a lot on forward as well as Morgan on defense. Those guys need to lead the way. Everyone else kind of follows their lead and helps support the group all the way through with our depth.
William has really taken a big step in that area for sure through last season and has carried it forward here.
Where do you think Timothy Liljegren’s game stands as someone who has come back from injury and started to settle in?
Keefe: I think he has gotten better and better throughout. It was important to us — for both Timothy and for Gio, with Gio coming back — to get those guys back together. They are very comfortable with each other and have done well for us. For two guys coming back from injury, we can get them some familiarity there.
It has been easier to do that because the McCabe and Benoit pairing has done a really good job for us. Benoit, in particular, continues to gain confidence and is really finding his way. McCabe has done a good job on the right side. All of those things have fit.
The more Liljegren has played, I think he looks that much more comfortable.
How have you liked Pontus Holmberg on the wing in the last few games?
Keefe: I liked it a lot in the last game. In the first game in Anaheim, he was still sort of finding himself a little bit there. In the last game, I thought he was excellent.
I thought that line was excellent. Domi was terrific in that game and Jarnkrok, but Holmberg did a really nice job in that game of winning the puck back, being above the puck, and making some plays. It was more the type of game you’d like to see from him regardless of the position he plays, but it has been important for us to get him that look.
There haven’t been a lot of opportunities up the middle this year since we put Domi there. The last game was a really good indication of what we think he is capable of. He is a versatile guy — not only because he plays center, but whether it is playing alongside Domi in more of an offensive type of role but also supporting that line defensively the way Jarnkrok does… [Holmberg] can also move, play with Kampf, and do a good job there, too. He has a lot to offer us that way. He can help on the penalty kill, too.
What are you hoping Nick Robertson is taking out of not playing right now?
Keefe: First of all, be confident and feel good about what you have done. He has found ways to produce for us. I think he has shown he can play in the league.
I also don’t know that he has fully separated himself from the pack. That is kind of the next piece. I have talked to him about the importance of taking care of the puck and being able to execute plays.
He is an offensive guy. When there is a chance to make a play, a pass, or a shot on goal, to me, a lot of those plays have sort of slipped off his stick or haven’t quite been smooth. That has sort of disrupted the offense, which leads to having to defend more.
That is what I would like to see from Nick. That is sort of the next stage for him. But he has fit in well in the spot he’s played. We were just looking to get someone like Holmberg more of an opportunity, so we said, “Where can we make a switch? Where does it make sense to make a switch?”
We think that McMann has fit in very well playing with Kampf. I just thought that Robertson was the guy. That is sort of where he is. We have some illness that has popped back up and it might be tonight that Robertson comes back in, so take advantage of those opportunities when they come.
