Pontus Holmberg thought he was coming back to the Maple Leafs, until something changed

With the Toronto Maple Leafs electing to go in a heavier, grittier direction this season, that meant that several names were let go in order to make room for newcomers like Dakota Joshua and Nicolas Roy.

One of those casualties was Pontus Holmberg, who the team elected not to re-sign and decided to let him test the free agent market. He signed a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning, and while he hasn't blown them away, has found a role and a lot of praise from head coach Jon Cooper.

Facing off against Toronto for the first time since signing, no doubt there will be some emotions throughout Holmberg, and from the sounds of it, didn't expect to be leaving.

Speaking to reporters ahead of Monday night's game between Tampa Bay and Toronto, Holmberg explained that he was ready to be part of the Maple Leafs this season, but something changed in those plans, and he's found a new home in Tampa.

Holmberg stated:

Holmberg endured his fair share of criticism in Toronto due to his lack of an offensive punch, but his underlying stats, ability to draw and kill penalties, while also playing a physical game all seem to be perfect for a Craig Berube lineup.

While not confirmed, it could be that due to Holmberg being a former Kyle Dubas pick, the new regime wanted to move past any of the leftover names and Holmberg was one of them, regardless of what he brought to the team.

Considering how much praise he's gotten from Jon Cooper recently, Holmberg has carved out a niche role with the Lightning and has ran with it.

Cooper wasn't shy about how much he's enjoyed Holmberg's play, and sounds almost appreciative that Toronto decided to let him go.

Cooper noted:

Commended for his ability to control the pace, keep the puck, and use all of his 6'2 frame to his advantage, it's a style that Toronto could have used now; especially knowing what they've been through.

Toronto had to deal with injuries to both Nicolas Roy and Scott Laughton this year, needing to use a mix of different names to play center. If they had kept Holmberg, not only would they have had a more capable defensive center than Max Domi, but someone who could have helped their PK unit earlier on.

With how inconsistent and uncomfortable Matias Maccelli has looked, and including his multiple healthy scratches, it's questionable why Toronto went with a flier like that as opposed to keeping Holmberg around who fits their style.

We won't know the answer to that however, and all Toronto knows is that they are going to need to line up against Holmberg going forward, and he's looking to do his best to prove to them why they made a mistake letting him leave.