Sheldon Keefe, Toronto Maple Leafs practice
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Ahead of Tuesday’s game in Philadelphia, head coach Sheldon Keefe discussed the makeup and deployment of his defense after the team’s deadline additions, Pontus Holmberg’s opportunity next to Auston Matthews, and preparation for a hungry Flyers team.

Brad Treliving has spoken about the defense as a “by committee” situation. What do you like about how the pieces could all come together here?

Keefe: We like how the pieces have fit in. We are without Lyubushkin tonight, but with him and Edmundson, it gives us far better depth.

Since their arrival, we have essentially just been rolling the three D pairings. We are not concerned about matchups or anything like that. We think each pair can take on any matchup or responsibility. We don’t have to go chasing things. We think that is helpful.

As I am sure we will see tonight with Benoit coming in, we have other guys who are hungry, can push the group, and can help us respond to injury or illness as we are going to go through today. Those are all healthy things for us.

As a coach, is it a luxury to have a defense core where you are just rolling the pairs out without stressing too much about matchups?

Keefe: I think it is part of what you want to get to as a coach — to not have to stress those things — and I think the players respond well in that sense, too. There isn’t one pairing or one group that gets left behind or doesn’t feel like they are in rhythm. That can be helpful.

Obviously, you have to get the guys all playing well and you have to get each pairing going well. In some cases, there are some matchup things you want to look at, whether it is size or speed and it being a better fit for some guys.

For the most part, in the early going here, we really just wanted to roll them out and let the players show us how they can handle these situations.

Is there anything you’ve learned about Joel Edmundson that you maybe didn’t know about before he was a Leaf?

Keefe: I think he has fit the bill exactly as we were expecting and hearing both on and off the ice. He has a good personality about him. He fits in with the group. He seems like he is comfortable in that sense already.

On the ice, he has been very steady. He does his job. He is growing each game with us as he is getting more and more comfortable with our surroundings and our players.

Pontus Holmberg is getting a look beside Auston Matthews right now. Bobby McMann got a few shifts on Saturday. What is the key to success for a younger guy when they get their first look beside someone like Auston?

Keefe: It is just about being comfortable. That is easier said than done. In Holmberg’s case, it is not his first go-around with Auston. It should be easier this time around for him.

It is really just about being comfortable and not changing your game. It is more doing the things that allow you to be in consideration for such a responsibility.

In Holmberg’s case specifically, he has a good skill set that can help him adapt and play with anybody. We like that about him. He is a versatile guy who we have used all around our lineup and in all three forward positions.

When we are dealing with the injuries on the right wing, you need to get a right winger and a guy with a skill set to make a play and hold onto the puck. He is one of those guys for sure.

What type of response he is expecting from the Flyers after the news of captain Sean Couturier’s healthy scratch?

Keefe: They are a team playing to qualify for the playoffs. Things are getting tight around you. For that reason — and they are a proud team coming off of a loss to Boston and a loss to us — they are going to play well and play hard.

I fully expect a response. I talked to our team about that today. Something like scratching their captain gets the team’s attention. We certainly expect their best tonight.

How is the prep or approach different from a coach’s perspective when you play the same team in a week?

Keefe: It is just easier. You have things that are fresh on your mind. You spend way less time going through the video with players. Things are already top of mind.

It is a combination of things that Philadelphia does but also things that we did well when we were last here. We have been talking about those for the last few days leading up to the Carolina game even. Some of that stuff is fresh in the mind.

It is a quicker discussion this morning, and we will give them some reminders tonight. Really, it’s just more about mindset, competitiveness, and all of those sorts of things. We have to be ready from the start.

Are you considering any other lineup changes?

Keefe: Everything will be reflective of how we practiced yesterday.

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