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Report: Sheldon Keefe to return as Maple Leafs head coach
The Leafs are reportedly looking to sign head coach Sheldon Keefe to a contract extension, despite early offseason speculation that he would be let go.
According to multiple reports, Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe will be back behind the bench to begin the 2023-24 season.
Both Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and TSN’s Darren Dreger all but confirmed the decision by general manager Brad Treliving on Monday, sharing that the search had now begun — with Keefe’s inclusion — to find a replacement for assistant coach Spencer Carbery after his departure for Washington.
“In the end, it confirms what we had suspected for some time, which is that Keefe is coming back,” Friedman said on the latest edition of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast. “They haven’t announced anything, but he’s coming back.
“I believe that once Treliving was hired it increased the chances, and there was one minute where I kind of wondered if that’s what the Rangers were waiting for, but generally, I’ve believed since Treliving arrived that Keefe was coming back and that’s going to be happening.”
According to Dreger, the two sides reportedly met earlier this month to discuss Keefe’s role, and as reported over the weekend, had begun preliminary discussions on a possible contract extension.
“Sheldon [Keefe] and Brad Treliving spent some time and got to know each other initially, and Treliving feels confident that Sheldon Keefe is the right coach for the Maple Leafs,” Dreger told TSN 1050’s First Up. “The two of them have engaged in conversations with potential candidates to replace Spencer Carbery on the bench, and along with that a very likely scenario is that Sheldon Keefe will also get an extension at some point.”
While the initial waves calling for Keefe’s dismissal have waned in recent weeks, the general sentiment around Toronto’s bench boss makes the decision to run it back somewhat of a surprise.
As is well documented, the Maple Leafs once again flamed out during the Stanley Cup playoffs, though in the second round this time, despite their Stanley Cup aspirations. Much of the initial blame fell on Keefe’s shoulders, with arguments that the fourth-year skipper had poorly prepared his club, then failed to make adjustments when called for.
Despite that, the Maple Leafs regular season success is impossible to ignore under the stewardship of the 42-year-old.
Keefe owns a lifetime 166-71-30 regular season record, good for a .678 winning percentage, and coached three of the four best regular season teams in franchise history, including a club record 115 points during the 2021-22 campaign.