I guess Kyle must really like getting bent over...not that theres anything wrong with that
Sheldon Keefe Discussion Thread
- Thread starter The Masters
- Start date
PromisedLand
I need more FOOD
I share your sentiments its probably the approach to the future where we differ.
Regarding VGK all I can say based on my opinion is that VGK management was shrewd, they did what was best for the franchise not necessarily for the player and also used the loopholes afforded to them in the CBA (ex: Stone all of a sudden becomes available for playoffs).
Leafs on the other hand, have not been shrewd, they have been soft and have done everything in the best interest of the players not the franchise.
Also, look at how many coaches VGK has gone through in 6 years of existence and the player personnel changes and compare that to the Leafs who have deeper pockets than VGK and is an original 6 franchise. Its shameful to be honest.
I wonder if part of the incentive of keeping Keefe is not rocking the boat too much before Matthews signs an extension.
ShaneFalco
Registered User
I guess you can choose to look at it that way but it’s no unreasonable to think removing a coach he likes could and a GM he likes both right before he negotiates his extension could be a factor. That’s just human nature
Menzinger
Kessel4LadyByng
Wanting to maintain a degree of organizational stability while trying to court Matthews to commit the rest of his prime probably helped the decision.
The biggest factor is probably that Shanny and Treliving quite like Keefe themselves - this would carry the most weight imo
Mess
Global Moderator
The Toronto Maple Leafs are reportedly mulling over several assistant coaches as they look to fill out their coaching staff. While head coach Sheldon Keefe’s future is still up in the air it does appear that he will return for this season. One coach that isn’t returning is assistant coach Spencer Carbery who already accepted the head coaching job with the Washington Capitals. Now Brad Treliving and company are tasked with filling that hole in their staff. Jeff Marek speculated today on the 32 Thoughts Podcast that he’s heard Toronto have shown interest in Mitch Love, Karl Taylor, and Todd Nelson.
Love is likely the biggest name of the three as he is the head coach of the Calgary Wranglers and has had that team play like a well-oiled machine the past two seasons posting a record of 96-33-8-3. The Wranglers are the AHL affiliate to the Calgary Flames which will lead to speculation about a connection with Treliving who of course came over from Calgary just a few weeks ago.
Taylor is the current head coach of the Nashville Predators AHL affiliate in Milwaukee and has been there for five seasons posting a record of 157-90-29-11. He’s struggled to get the Admirals over the hump as they have advanced to the second round just one in his five-year run with the club. Taylor has also coached in the WHL, ECHL and AHL during his 16-year coaching career.
Nelson is the most experienced of the three names that Marek mentioned as he has been coaching for over 20 years in the UHL, AHL and NHL. He was an assistant coach for four years in Dallas before taking over the Hershey Bears this season. Nelson has the club one win away from the AHL Calder Trophy and may have a lot of NHL opportunities thrown his way this summer.
Love is likely the biggest name of the three as he is the head coach of the Calgary Wranglers and has had that team play like a well-oiled machine the past two seasons posting a record of 96-33-8-3. The Wranglers are the AHL affiliate to the Calgary Flames which will lead to speculation about a connection with Treliving who of course came over from Calgary just a few weeks ago.
Taylor is the current head coach of the Nashville Predators AHL affiliate in Milwaukee and has been there for five seasons posting a record of 157-90-29-11. He’s struggled to get the Admirals over the hump as they have advanced to the second round just one in his five-year run with the club. Taylor has also coached in the WHL, ECHL and AHL during his 16-year coaching career.
Nelson is the most experienced of the three names that Marek mentioned as he has been coaching for over 20 years in the UHL, AHL and NHL. He was an assistant coach for four years in Dallas before taking over the Hershey Bears this season. Nelson has the club one win away from the AHL Calder Trophy and may have a lot of NHL opportunities thrown his way this summer.
ShaneFalco
Registered User
BallardEra
Leafs&Caps Since 1982™
I'm sure they're looking for someone who doesn't seem threatening to Keefe.
Carlton the Bear, come on down!!!
I honestly think Treliving has little say if at all in the matter. If Shanahan says Keefe is coming back, then Keefe is coming back.
What's there to like about a career 13-17 coach in the playoffs who is consistently outcoached?
The best thing for Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe might have been watching friend-boss Kyle Dubas walk out door
For the first time Keefe has a real opportunity to show he can be an NHL coach without Dubas, who’d been tied to him since 2011, holding his hand.
www.thestar.com
When Sheldon Keefe recently spoke of his personal growth and development as a coach he gave full credit to Dubas — as he should.
“Obviously I have a tremendous amount of respect for Kyle, not just for what he’s done for the organization but what he’s done for me personally — my growth, my development as a coach,” he said.
We all have had people who believed in us over our careers and were willing to give us a chance. It’s important to never forget how we got to where we are. But many relationships also run their course and changes become not only inevitable, they can be deemed necessary to achieve additional growth.
Dubas and Keefe, along with president Brendan Shanahan, have been spinning their wheels in the mud of failure these last four seasons. Something had to give. After that peculiar and emotional press conference back in May where Dubas shed light on the negative impact the job has had on his family life, even his most loyal fans could no longer accept the status quo going into next season.
Now, for the first time, Keefe has a real opportunity to show he can be an NHL coach without Dubas holding his hand.
What will that look like? For starters, he might feel open to making his star players more accountable without having to walk his words back the way he did last October. After a horrific loss to Arizona, Keefe stated “our elite players didn’t play like elite players.”
I don’t believe for one second Dubas didn’t have a major hand in the decision for the coach to publicly correct his criticism of the Leafs’ stars when he backtracked and said “I used some of the wrong words” a day later.
That in itself was a huge red flag. From that day forward, Keefe didn’t seem to feel free and clear to make his own call. It felt like when the coach was speaking, he had to choose his words carefully to avoid being overly critical of the players his GM was “willing to bet everything” on.
With Dubas heading to Pittsburgh, we’ll assume he took the warm blanket he often wrapped around the players with him.
If history tells us anything it’s that even if Keefe does manage to get extended for another year or two, the last thing he should feel is warm and fuzzy about his job security. And the biggest threat to his job could end up coaching alongside him to start the year.
Last season, the Leafs looked hard at three-time Stanley Cup champion Rick Tocchet to join Keefe on the bench as associate coach; it never materialized. As the Leafs look to replace Spencer Carbery, who earned the head-coaching gig in Washington, it wouldn’t surprise me at all to finally see an associate coach with a lot more experience behind an NHL bench compared to what we’ve recently seen with the Leafs.
Perhaps it’s Kirk Muller, the former Carolina Hurricanes head coach who can come in and help Keefe get over the hump. Treliving would know all too well what Muller could bring as they spent the last two seasons together in Calgary, where Muller has been an associate coach. Muller is also a former Maple Leaf who’s familiar with the market.
Adding a person like Muller, who captained a Stanley Cup team in the fierce market of Montreal and has spent an additional 17 seasons behind an NHL bench, may not be a great feeling for Keefe. He’ll be looking closely over his shoulder if things get tough, but so be it. Bringing in someone with immediate credibility may be exactly what the organization needs in the event Keefe’s Leafs have another slow start to the season.
Keefe’s coaching career was built on Dubas’s belief that when you show loyalty and an abundance of patience with a team’s performance, it will come back in spades. It’s clear now that that couldn’t be further from the truth.
The good news for the Leafs coach is he has a second chance to rebuild his coaching career. This time maybe with some real brick-and-mortar.
TMLBlueandWhite
Go Leafs Go
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Nothing says “We’ve tried nothing and can't think of anything else” more than bringing Keefe back.
I can't figure out his system. And it doesn't look like the players can either. They perpetually play like it’s two weeks into the season using a system that is completely alien to them all.
Maybe they should give Keefe another decade to try though.
You know, just in case Dubas was right. Ten years from now Keefe probably will be a great NHL coach. The problem is that he isn't one now.
You could give him the 1977 Montreal Canadiens and he would STILL find a way to lose.
Let lone this inept rag tag cast of duds sprinkled in amongst four studs. A hodgepodge of other team's rejects and scrapheap finds. Anybody who would agree to sign one of Dubas' short term cheapo "show me" deals.
Heaped in with the appropriately compensated leadership of this team.
All Keefe has to do is make these castoffs and misfits get good again. Or, if they weren't good before, get good now. That's not asking for too much from Keefe now, is it?
A good coach can make a bad team look good.
And a bad coach can make a good team look bad. Unfortunately for Leafs fans, Keefe falls into the latter category. Once upon a time, when men failed as miserably as Keefe has here, they would throw themselves on their swords.
Instead I expect Keefe will get an extension.
I can't figure out his system. And it doesn't look like the players can either. They perpetually play like it’s two weeks into the season using a system that is completely alien to them all.
Maybe they should give Keefe another decade to try though.
You know, just in case Dubas was right. Ten years from now Keefe probably will be a great NHL coach. The problem is that he isn't one now.
You could give him the 1977 Montreal Canadiens and he would STILL find a way to lose.
Let lone this inept rag tag cast of duds sprinkled in amongst four studs. A hodgepodge of other team's rejects and scrapheap finds. Anybody who would agree to sign one of Dubas' short term cheapo "show me" deals.
Heaped in with the appropriately compensated leadership of this team.
All Keefe has to do is make these castoffs and misfits get good again. Or, if they weren't good before, get good now. That's not asking for too much from Keefe now, is it?
A good coach can make a bad team look good.
And a bad coach can make a good team look bad. Unfortunately for Leafs fans, Keefe falls into the latter category. Once upon a time, when men failed as miserably as Keefe has here, they would throw themselves on their swords.
Instead I expect Keefe will get an extension.
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I wish I had job security like Keefe does. Must be nice to constantly drop the ball and have people believe in you
That's the kind of belief and friends I need in my life. I could have been a doctor
TMLBlueandWhite
Go Leafs Go
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You would think ML$E was a branch of government with how bloated the front office is and the "job's for life" security they all have.
SprDaVE
Moderator
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Mr Knies Guy
Registered User
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FML… failure of an organization is so averse to change
The only change they’ll be making is forced by Doobass hurting the puppet master’s feelings
The only change they’ll be making is forced by Doobass hurting the puppet master’s feelings
There are coaches who has been fired for less. Much much less
Just don't get it. I thought I knew hockey.
Vegas would have banned him from entering Nevada let alone enter the arena
Cam Neeley would have dragged him out of TD center
But not here. You don't get fired, no sir. You on the other hand get an extension
Menzinger
Kessel4LadyByng
Anthrax442
Registered User
I thought they should change him. But I can't say I can see anyone better available
Gallant is a POS. But he's better
He'll get you results
Laviollete was available
Just hire any pee wee coach at this point. At least let the team know mediocrity is not accepted
Duffman955
Registered User
- Mar 4, 2010
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Hate this guy so much. Seems like the team doesn't even play like a team under him
SeaOfBlue
The Passion That Unites Us All
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But we probably get to know the new Marlies HC (could be Stephane Julien) and the Carbery replacement... Neither of which is known.
His system is very simple just drink more water sheesh what idiot coach would give the team a pep talk like that I’m so disappointed with the tml
