Sheldon Keefe is set to become the 31st head coach in New Jersey Devils’ franchise history. He previously coached the Toronto Maple Leafs for five seasons and qualified for the playoffs every time. Toronto’s Core Four also saw great offensive success under his leadership. This seems to be a good hire from Tom Fitzgerald and company.
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16 Comments
The scene is obviously now set, for Keefe's Devils to dump the Leafs out of the play-offs 🤣
mixed feelings about this. Probably only because no one wants to end up like the Leafs 😀
I'm not skeptic at all. New scene, new team. Keefe will have a lot less media pressure and will get the offense humming. Fitz needs to get a "Big Game" goalie and a defensemen.
Not a Sheldon Keefe fan but hoping his coaching career will take on a new strength with Devils.
Problem is I have not seen an ability to unify identity and put disparate parts together. Did seem that in his minor league coaching career he had more of a competitive edge.
The core four with Leafs he embraced this and gave them room to cope with the hyperfocus there. And good seasons from that.
What happened in Toronto wasn't really Keefe's fault, mgmt spent to the moon on the "core 4" and didn't have enough to build a decent other 3 lines and only had an average defense/goaltending. Fitzy learned his lesson last season, and he is gonna fix this in the offseason. We need a coach that is not a drill sgt like Torts, nor a father figure like Lindy, we need a mix of the two, someone who they like but will keep them accountable, in that regard Keefe prob will do VERY well here 🙂
I'm not thrilled. I wanted Berube. This team NEEDS a hardass coach as they are young, and I've heard there a country club atmosphere in the locker room. That's a definite no-no. It's fine to be friends off the ice and meld, but im a firm believer that it's ALL BUSINESS in that locker room. So my dislike for Keefe, is not that he's not a good coach. it's the forseen attitude that he will bring to the locker room. The Panthers have created the mold i want the Devils to follow. We alrrady have the talent, now we need the goalie and the shot blocking machine d-men along with BIGGER , GRITTIER forwards on the 3rd and 4th line. If the Devils do what i am saying they reach the Stanley Cup sooner than later.
Sheldon Keefe is a players coach. I just don't think the devils need a player's coach. Devils need a more hard ass coach.
Ugh no one wanted this
As a Leafs fan, don't get your hopes up about Sheldon Keefe. I will say he is a good regular season coach but will get out coached in the playoffs. Here is what I saw in the last 5 years:
1. Plays a heavy puck possession style. Don't expect to be a forechecking/physical team (Devils will be seen as a soft under his system). His style doesn't translate well in the playoffs
2. Doesn't believe in physicality (hitting, scrums, and fighting) and chasing hits and he even admitted this himself a couple of times during his media availability. A lot of players will stop to turn around and play defense rather than going in for a bodycheck to cause a turnover in the OZ
3. Neuters physical players. You could trade for Tom Wilson and he will turn him into a Mitch Marner
4. Lack of accountability for your star players (country club) versus depth players. One of the biggest issues we had in Toronto was a star player not being benched when they played poorly (Marner, Matthews, Tavares, and Nylander) and instead benches bottom 6 players when a "message" needs to be sent like David Kampf. If he calls out his star players, he will walk it back in the next media availability
5. His brain shuts off during the playoffs (part of being out-coached). He will try tactics/strategies, line combinations, and player roles in the playoffs that were never deployed in the regular season
Out of the points that I just mentioned, if there is one that is the most frustrating, it has to be #5.
If Keefe is half the coach Burnzy was? Then give Sheldon a chance.
Alexzander Holtz first line baby
Sheldon Keefe is a good choice for HC. He will motivate and communicate with the young players of the team. Now sign a goalie and another d'man. Also, it would be nice to get Brady Thachuk from Senators. Let's go Devils.
Be happy NJ, as a leaf fan I’m choked that we lost Keefe. Shanahan is the problem in Toronto, they fired the wrong guy.. You guys lucked out, be pumped..
First time coming accross this pod. I was looking for news about Keefe and found this. Your a great host/ Podcaster. Found this more insightful then espn and tsn combined. Great stuff.
Everyone crying about lack of playoff success…. end of the day, the 1st step to playoff success is that you need to make the playoffs…. and be there consistently. This team has not been there enough yet. Even if THE GREATEST COACH OF ALL TIME (whoever that would be) took over this team there is no guarantee of a cup win next year. Its going to take time, experience in the playoffs for a few years… maturity of the D-Core etc. Keefe is coming off a relative high compared to guys like Sullivan and Berube. Hes going to join the Devils hungry and ready to prove himself.
Toronto fan here. Devils got a good coach. Anyone that leaves Toronto seems to go on to great success.