Sheldon Keefe on Justin Holl’s recent struggles: “He likes direct and honest feedback, and it was more direct because [his struggles] seen snowball games… He’s an important guy that we need to get more out of.”

After Friday’s practice, head coach Sheldon Keefe discussed his new line combinations in practice after the loss in San Jose, Justin Holl’s bumpy ride to the start of the season and the decision to field defenseman Filip Král for his NHL debut Saturday night in LA.

Practice Lines – October 28th

Leaves D in practice

Rielly-Brodie
Sandin – Holl
Giordano—Kral*/Mete

*Kral doing first reps… yet to play in the NHL @TSN_Edge

— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) October 28, 2022

You recently mentioned that Ilya Samsonov is a little ailing. How is he today?

Keefe: Seems like he’s shaking it off. It wasn’t a big deal, but it was something that bothered him about the Vegas game. He pushed it through. Given how much we had to rely on him in that game in particular, we thought it made sense to give him the extra tag. He will be ready tomorrow.

What was your game plan for practice today? They started out in different positions to do some skill work. What did you want to make of it?

Keefe: We just wanted to get better is the main theme, but we started the training with some skill development stuff that we would normally do as part of our regular routine when we are at home. We’ve been away from home for quite some time now. Generally, as the season progresses in a busy schedule, some of the habits and details of your game tend to slip. That’s why we do as much skill development as we do.

It’s reconnecting with some of those principles that our defenders in particular can usually execute at a high level. It wasn’t the case. We wanted to address that. The strikers still have a lot to work on. It was a good opportunity to start training like this and really get to the point of what we need to get better at.

Why is now the time to give Filip Král his NHL debut?

Keefe: We’ve just looked at this, and it’s a back-to-back situation here. To be honest, it probably would have been my intention to get him in one of the games. If you’re him and you’re playing in your first NHL game, it’s good to know this in advance and come home after a day of practice instead of being thrown in for a five o’clock game in a back-to-back game will. It really is.

I think Král is a guy who had good camps for us and didn’t have that opportunity. He’s a good young player who handles the puck with confidence. He moves it well. He’s a good size and all that. There are things we like about him.

With the schedule being what it was and the length of time on the road, we feel we need to use some of the extra people. Especially in Král’s situation, I think it makes sense to do this on the front half of the back-to-back.

Is there something you have found in your many years coaching Justin Holl that is helping him get back on track and find his game?

Keefe: Justin really likes direct and honest feedback. We gave that to him. It was certainly a bit more direct today because it snowballed here and it didn’t make the positive moves that we would like, but he’s an experienced guy in the league now. He’s an important guy for us because of what he does on penalties.

With the injuries we’ve had, he’s an important man for us in the PK. He is currently our only right-handed defender. Defensively, he takes on many difficult minutes. He’s an important guy that we need to get more out of.

What are you looking for from your bottom six with some of the changes you’ve made?

Keefe: It’s more about getting people involved. As for the fighting series, I really enjoyed it last night. Aston-Reese played a role in that but of course Kampf and Engvall are back together – we liked the result. This line was good.

Aubé-Kubel, on the other hand, has been sitting for some time. We want to get his legs in the lineup. He really wants to go back in. We had to make a change there to achieve this.

At Simmer we want to get him involved and bring him back. Again it’s the same kind of idea. Since it is back-to-back, the intention is to use our depth in this way. I just like this setup when I go into the game.

With the change in the forward lines where the left wingers shuffle around, it’s just a way of looking at it and giving Robertson a different look. Because we travel as much as we do, this line has been targeted in terms of matchups and has had to play against other teams’ best players. We’re just trying to lighten the load there a little bit. At the same time we want to use the fact that Kerfoot has had a good game on the wing.

Expect an extra leap from Nick Robertson when he plays near his hometown in LA?

Keefe: I know he’s excited. I can see it when I talk to him. Regarding his jump, I don’t know. I think he gave us a lot of energy and put everything he has into every shift. I don’t know, but if anything we want to make sure he’s relaxing, playing his game and doing the things he’s capable of.

This will be a big moment especially for a kid who grew up in this area. It’s less common for guys to come in, play in California, [and play at home] — although it’s certainly more common these days.

I know it’s gonna be a thrill. He’s talked about Wayne Simmonds being one of the guys he’s been watching [here] and now he’s on his line. It’s crazy how things turn out sometimes. A great moment for him and his family.