Confirmed with Link: Sheldon Keefe Fired -- Discussion Thread

[LeafSteel]

A new driver given the keys to a 700 hp sports car.

Who could possibly have known it would go badly?

I wish him well but I don’t feel sorry for him.

He was gifted a job he never should have gotten, and he kept it 3 years longer than he should have.

He will land on his feet and he’s made an ass load of money. In the interim, he was always the lesser coach when he needed to be the superior one.

Everything related to Keefe is a bad look on MLSE, Shanahan, and Dubas.

 

[sunstersun]

There are just too many moments where Leafs don't make any sense throughout the season.

Rielly gets hurt and the PP with Lilly is amazing. Instead of ya know trying it out/continuing with the hot hand we stick Rielly out on PP1 no matter what. Result? Terrible.

Sent out the 4th line to kill us right after scoring against Boston.

Not playing the 1st 2 lines enough.

Not changing anything on the PP at all.

Injury forced Keefe to stop stapling Marner to Matthews.

 

[tuckerintensity]

This likely should have happened last year, his extension was such a weird move by BT. At the same, unless someone becomes unexpectedly available, dear lord the candidate pool is meh. So very meh.

 

[wingman75]

Simmonds is advocating for coach Q.

Pains me to agree with that goof.

 

[likecheese]

Guy Boucher is disposable. Inconsistent work on the PP, critical failure at a critical time.

Anybody even associated with that pp should be launched into the sun yesterday.

 

[ToneDog]

I don't know who the answer is, but this is a VERY big decision. It wasn't Keefe's fault that the Leafs had such poor playoff showings, but our series have been close enough that a small tactic change could've been the difference in many years.

The right coach can also definitely set up our stars for better playoff success. Our team isn't perfect, but they're obviously talented enough to be better than they have in the Matthews era. Hopefully they pick the right coach.

1 for 21 on the PP and outcoached in every playoff series.

 

[bodechek]

Keefe knew the writing on the wall during his end of season interview with the media. Who I want to replace him is someone who will not be afraid to bench any of the core four players for their poor performance.

 

[ACC1224]

Who was it that thought Van Ryn was running everything? That was some good stuff.

 

[robertmac43]

If Keefe's hiring was the only big difference going into next year, how would you feel?

 

[hamzarocks]

I dont like this weird ass practice we have where we keep a predessor part of management and give the new hire an "out"

Shanny got this with Carlyle in 2014-2015
Dubas got this with Babcock
Shanny is getting this again with Treliving
Treliving got this with Keefe

If we fire Shanahan and keep Treliving it makes little sense

Say we lose R1 again next year, then Treliving + 1 year new coach are fired again?

We should just clean house in management and coaching and bring in a completeley new staff giving them 3 year window to retool and get us to an actual contender status

Issue I guess would be that Matthews only has 4 years term. 3 year retool would take it to his final year before UFA at 31

 

[3blizzard4]

Interesting. Wonder what the connection is? I don't think he ever played for him.

My bad. Typo. Meant Toronto Sun Simmons.

 

[Menzinger]

Guy Boucher is disposable. Inconsistent work on the PP, critical failure at a critical time.

Oh I certainly don't care one way or the other about what happens to him, probably all the assistance likely need to go.

I just think it's a bit interesting, and unfortunate for him in particular, if that's what happens given his history with Shanny and the team

 

[Strangle]

Praying that Coach Q will be introduced tomorrow during the press conference!

This is the right move. Let’s go Q!

 

[Brobust]

I don't think they should wait for RBA. His teams underperform just as much as much as Keefe's.

 

[sunstersun]

If Keefe's hiring was the only big difference going into next year, how would you feel?

Horrible. If the core 4 was actually good in the playoffs, they would win even with worse coaching.

 

[SprDaVE]

Who was it that thought Van Ryn was running everything? That was some good stuff.

If Berube is hired, I could actually see Van Ryn back. I believe they worked together in the past.

 

[mydnyte]

I'm sad that Keefe lost his job.

I blame the players more than I blame him. However, he was out-coached too often, and sometimes, even by himself.

I put the most blame on Dubas, and especially on Shanahan, who allowed the Leafs core to be OVERPAID too soon. He also allowed our Leafs to be built in the opposite image of how he played hockey.

Huge changes in player personnel are STILL REQUIRED. I'd start with Marner and Rielly. I'd also work on getting Tavares to waive his NMC, or to re-sign at a HUGE team favored discount.

2 years at $4M, or under for Tavares to stay, otherwise take a hike John.

you can never blame the players for playing the coaches system and never adapting to the team you are playing, you cant even blame the 4th line for giving up the tying goal in game 7, because they didnt decide to hop over the boards on their own.
these are standard bad coaching decisions.

 

[ACC1224]

Pains me to agree with that goof.

Never mind, thought you were referring to Wayne Simmonds. OP typo'd

 

[hamzarocks]

you can never blame the players for playing the coaches system and never adapting to the team you are playing, you cant even blame the 4th line for giving up the tying goal in game 7, because they didnt decide to hop over the boards on their own.
these are standard bad coaching decisions.

Wasnt it a 4th line vs 4th line shift in game 7?

 

[NMacrules]

I don't know who the answer is, but this is a VERY big decision. It wasn't Keefe's fault that the Leafs had such poor playoff showings, but our series have been close enough that a small tactic change could've been the difference in many years.

The right coach can also definitely set up our stars for better playoff success. Our team isn't perfect, but they're obviously talented enough to be better than they have in the Matthews era. Hopefully they pick the right coach.

It absolutely was his fault.

 

[ToneDog]

If Keefe's hiring was the only big difference going into next year, how would you feel?

More apathetic.

 

[QJo]

I'm in the group that thinks he's a bad coach and was a major part of the issue. He didn't even believe in his own coaching/system.

He juggled way too much, never trusted that the lines from practice would work under pressure.

His players didn't play a very effective system (for playoffs).

He admitted other teams let us beat ourselves which of course is what we say about our team when we are saying the coach isn't doing his job.

Some of his locker room speeches were so uninspiring and yet attempting to be. It was like watching a bad actor portray deliver a raw raw speech in a made for tv movie sometimes.

He got a lot of regular season points, I don't see many other positives. And if you can fog glass you can get a lot of regular season points with these rosters.

 

[Twine Tickler]

Quenville probably isnt available

He is looked at by some of the public as one step above a sexual assualter (I dont view it like this, but was reading some stuff on toronto maple leafs reddit and those guys dont want him anywhere near the team)

Not sure if Q could come back to toronto. To bright lights, and hes lost a lot of respect in fans/media eyes. He would need to go somewhere smaller I feel.

Berube is a decent coach though probably not going to make much of a difference than Keefe come playoff time

I agree,

I think MLSE is far too worried about their image politically/morally to make that hire. I do think he is the perfect coach for this group unfortunately.

At the end of the day I don't think anyone is beyond rehabilitation. I know in 2024 we tend put labels on people that carry forward with them for the rest of their lives, but we also have to allow for some element of righting previous wrongs.

Q will get another job in the NHL at some point IMO. His reputation is still good, and he has paid a severe price for his actions/inactions. Although I do agree with you that MLSE probably will not even consider him as a candidate, I do believe that would be a mistake.

 

[647Hockey]

Berube's coaching record shows he starts great and at some point the team sags. That can go for any coach really, but people got t remember his big STL win was really due to Binnington being lights out as a call up. He went 24-5 with Hasek like numbers. He had insane stats. When his stats normalized to being a decent goalie, STL never came close to the cup since.

If it is Berube, Leaf players better be ready for another loud yelling Babcock kind of coach. Keefe was a chill players coach.

 

[JKG33]

4 years too late