The Toronto Maple Leafs have decided to fire Head Coach Sheldon Keefe. The team again failed to get by the Boston Bruins in the first round.
The Maple Leafs will be searching for a new coach for the first time since they hired Sheldon Keefe during the 2019-20 season. Keefe had a record of 212-97-40 in five seasons. The problem is that in five playoff appearances, the Maple Leafs had a record of 16-21.
The furthest that the Toronto Maple Leafs managed to advance under Keefe in the playoffs was the second round in 2022-23 where they eventually fell in five games. This broke a 19-year streak where the Leafs hadn’t advanced past the first round since 2004.
Sheldon Keefe had previously coached for the Toronto Marlies in the AHL, the minor league affiliate for the Maple Leafs. He won the Calder Cup as the coach of the Marlies in 2017-2018. Unfortunately, he didn’t see the same playoff success with the big club.
This Was Expected For the Toronto Maple Leafs
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When it comes to Sheldon Keefe, he did a phenomenal job getting this roster to perform at an extremely high level in the regular season, especially Auston Matthews. Matthews scored 69 goals in the 2023-24 NHL regular season in 81 games, easily leading the league and almost becoming the first player with 70 goals since 1992-93.
The problem was the playoffs always saw this team disappear. Keefe might believe in himself as a coach, but it’s apparent that management didn’t anymore. Keefe also stated after game seven that the team continually finds ways to beat themselves which likely didn’t help matters either.
The Toronto Maple Leafs not advancing past the second round of the postseason since 2002 has showcased that things needed to change. It’s amazing given the level of talent that sits throughout this roster. Keefe took over from previous coach Mike Babcock but only went one round of the playoffs further than his predecessor.
The Maple Leafs had a higher set of expectations for this season, especially after seeing Auston Matthews score 69 goals. They also had an amazing postseason performance from goaltender Joseph Woll until he went down with an injury in game six. Going out the way they did made it apparent that changes needed to be made.
Lots of Questions for Toronto Maple Leafs
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This recent playoff defeat had to be the most brutal for Leafs fans. To once again fall in seven games to their hated rivals in Boston just as they had in 2013, 2018, and 2019 was a painful reminder of their failures. This is all despite arguably the most stacked roster in the Eastern Conference.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have a roster stacked with some of the best players in the NHL. On top of that, they also have one of the highest-paid teams in the league. Four players are making over $10.9 million next season which is substantial for the NHL compared to the other four major professional sports leagues.
Auston Matthews is one of the finalists for the Ted Lindsay Award for the most outstanding player in the league. William Nylander despite missing the first few games for undisclosed reasons, had a great performance in the playoffs when he did play including in games six and seven. The problem with the Toronto Maple Leafs must be the players making big money but disappearing in the playoffs.
The biggest examples of this had to be captain John Tavares and Mitch Marner. Tavares is making $11 million since coming over from the New York Islanders in 2017-18 but posted only one goal and one assist for two points in the series against Boston. Mitch Marner is a massive trade candidate this offseason after only posting one goal and two assists against Boston.
Another Team Joins the Coaching Carousel
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The Toronto Maple Leafs will join the Seattle Kraken and the San Jose Sharks in the search for their next coach. This has to be the best job on the open market, albeit with the highest expectations. Whoever the Maple Leafs hire will be expected to bring home the Stanley Cup.
The Maple Leafs have the longest drought without winning a championship in the history of the NHL. The last time the city of Toronto has been able to claim the Stanley Cup was 1966-67. They haven’t even made it to the Conference Finals since 2002.
The Leafs are possibly the most visible team in the entire NHL. They are the NHL’s equal to the Dallas Cowboys in regards to visibility and profile. Whoever gets the job is going to be under the microscope, especially given the extremely high talent level of this roster.
The Toronto Maple Leafs need a coach who can get this team to perform in the postseason. The regular season isn’t the problem with this team. They always disappear in the playoffs when the lights shine brightest.
About the Author
Alex is a writer at Total Apex Sports and Total Apex Gaming. He’s a loyal fan of many teams, including the Las Vegas Raiders and San Francisco Giants. You can find him on X at @alex_furtotti
