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Toronto Maple Leafs

Sheldon Keefe Signs 2-Year Extension with the Maple Leafs

During the afternoon on Thursday, sources noted that the Toronto Maple Leafs were extending head coach Sheldon Keefe to a new deal. It wound up that the Leafs did sign their coach to a two-year extension. It’s interesting timing considering the Maple Leafs have underperformed when it comes to playoff expectations and a new deal suggests the organization has all the faith in the world in their bench boss.

Related: Jack Campbell Says There Are No Excuses for Maple Leafs This Season

Pierre LeBrun wrote:

Sources say Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe has agreed to a 2-year extension. He was entering the final year of his deal. Signed through 23-24 now. More details on Insider Trading shortly on Sportscentre.

Keefe has a record of 62-29-12 in the NHL since being hired. He’s had fantastic regular-season success but his teams haven’t moved past the first round of the playoffs. Then again, neither have the head coaches who came before him. The only difference is, Keefe has never had a full training camp and preseason to himself nor a full 82 game season to work with this roster as constructed.

To many, the real responsibility falls upon the players and the lack of leadership this team has shown in the past. It’s a central point of the new Amazon docu-series that will debut tomorrow about the Maple Leafs and something it appears Keefe recognized was lacking in the group during the year.

Keefe Has a Chance to Prove His Worth

Many will argue he was deserving of that extension and is absolutely not to blame for the failures of the team. At the same time, he didn’t receive a three or five-year deal. That suggests they want him to prove he’s worth a long-term commitment before really heavily being invested in him. LeBrun writes: “They believe in him, but it’s a prove-me contract at two years, no five,” LeBrun said on Insider Trading.

Keefe was entering the final year of his contract and is now signed through the 2023-24 NHL season.

Next: Flames Face Cap Challenge as Johnny Gaudreau Looking to Get Paid

2 Comments

2 Comments

  1. Pingback: Canucks Finalize Contract Extensions With Hughes and Pettersson

  2. Afp1961

    September 30, 2021 at 8:25 pm

    Funny they don’t want his contract to be a distraction but yet Rielly playing with out a deal is ok??

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