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Former Maple Leafs winger haunts Brad Treliving after making Team Sweden
Photo credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
A former Toronto Maple Leafs player has officially made Team Sweden, and general manager Brad Treliving should feel just a bit of embarrassment as a result.
During the Summer, the Toronto Maple Leafs had a difficult decision to make involving winger Pontus Holmberg, who had been struggling on the team's fourth line.
As a restricted free agent, Leafs general manager Brad Treliving could choose to give him a qualifying offer, or simply let him walk and become a UFA.
In the end, Treliving chose to let Holmberg walk, which was actually a bit of a surprise to the forward, given what he was told during the season.
Holmberg went on to sign with the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he has 12 points in 33 games, and has become a favorite of Lightning head coach Jon Cooper.
As it turns out, Holmberg's performance has been enough to earn him the biggest honor of his career with his home country of Sweden.
Pontus Holmberg defies the odds for Team Sweden
Earlier this morning, it was revealed that Holmberg would be playing for Team Sweden at the Olympics. It's a huge honor, and one that few were expecting.
While he may not get a ton of playing time on this roster, it is clear that Holmberg has impressed enough people to earn himself a spot on a talented team.
Holmberg is going to join his former teammates William Nylander and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who were also part of this morning's announcement.
Sweden is one of the four main contenders going into this tournament, and it is going to be fascinating to see which team is capable of going all the way.
Needless to say, you can't help but be happy for Holmberg, a player who has come a long way over the years.
| POLL | ||
JANVIER 2 | 204 ANSWERS Former Maple Leafs winger haunts Brad Treliving after making Team Sweden Do you believe Pontus Holmberg should be an Olympian for Team Sweden? | ||
| YES | 130 | 63.7 % |
| NO | 74 | 36.3 % |
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