according to Elliott Friedman via the 32 Thoughts PodcastThe Toronto Maple Leafs are bringing back Sheldon Cave as head coach for the 2023-24 season. Keefe has been busy lately, working with new General Manager Brad Treleving in the hiring process for the team’s vacant assistant coach position. As they work through their latest batch of interviews, it’s great to see Treliving and company do it right by returning the team’s bench chief next season.
Keefe is a great coach and has a strong ability to communicate with his players. Being a former NHL player, Keefe has the ability to network and communicate very effectively with his group. He was grinding in your face at the show after putting monster numbers in the juniors and any of his coaches would tell you no one on the ice wants that more or works harder. Keefe from the very first day showed that he is a winner, and the beginning of his coaching career was a historic success.
Since joining the Leafs, Keefe has posted a record of 166-71-30 (. 678) in four seasons. Yes, only one win in the playoff series up to this point, but the team proved last season that they’re making progress and getting close to being a Stanley Cup contender.
Kevi’s return brings the needed stability
Needless to say, Kyle Dubas’ firing this summer sent some shockwaves throughout the Maple Leafs organization. The rumors ran wild and sounded like any rumors and everything was going on at once, including some wild talk of trading an Auston Matthews or Mitch Marner. Bringing Keefe back should help ease the tension of the unknown in the Maple Leafs’ locker room, and while he’ll be tied up short, at least he’s got a crack to keep pushing this heart forward.
Keefe needs to find line chemistry early
One of the biggest drawbacks of a qualitative coaching strategy is the fact that it is open to changes. While switching things up before or during a game can offend some players or drive some players to play, last season the Maple Leafs coach tweaked his own method numerous times.
It will be important for the Toronto bench chief to find some well-rounded trios and work with them. There is no way a team should be looking for line chemistry in the middle of the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Keefe needs to look at the team’s past and understand that Mike Babcock was fired, for a number of reasons, but one big reason was how much he got his way. The team’s loss in the second round of the playoffs thanks to the Florida Panthers should be a huge lesson for Keef and the entire coaching staff next season.
For what it’s worth, Matthews and Marner should play together on the team’s top line and William Nylander and John Tavares should play together on the second line. Mix in Matthew Knies where you want there but it will be important for the Leafs to stick to the scenario a bit more next season. Matthews prefers playing Marner and Callie Yarncrook, so why not start the three together and give them some way? Remember back when Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby wanted to play with Chris Kunitz and Pascal Dupuy, so the Penns coach allowed it at the time? They went on to win the Stanley Cup. Sometimes, listening to your players’ wants and needs can go a long way.
It should also be noted that the bottom six of the Maple Leafs will look a lot different next season. Once again, training camp is going to be huge to create a new third line shutout unit. Chemistry again, very important to success. The regular season is a marathon, not a sprint, and it will be important for the Toronto coach to understand which path he is supposed to be on.
A contract extension is likely to come next
One of the biggest reasons why there was so much interest in Keefe’s return to the hockey team this summer was because he was entering the final season of his contract. No coach likes to be coach spam, just ask Bruce Boudreau.
It looks like Keefe and Treleving have hit it off by all accounts in the offseason and expect to see a short-term contract extension come the manager’s way. Two or three years to create a safety blanket for a Leafs coach, who will no longer have to answer or respond to any questions regarding his future.
The Maple Leafs make the right call 100% here. Of any NHL coach who has coached more than 250 games, Keefe has the best winning percentage in league history. Better than Scotty Bowman, John Cooper, and Bruce Cassidy, to name a few. It belongs to the league. He belongs behind the Maple Leafs bench.