Toronto Maple Leafs: Sheldon Keefe Should Get A Blank Slate

These are Sheldon Keefe’s Toronto Maple Leafs now.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but the Toronto Maple Leafs had a disappointing showing in the post-season. Old news by now, right? But, we’re not gonna talk about that today, instead, I would like to ask you a question: How is it fair that some fans and pundits are already calling for Sheldon Keefe’s head to be served on a silver platter after only 47 regular-season games and five playoff (qualifier) games?

Keefe was promoted to the head coaching job on November 20th 2019. At the time, the Toronto Maple Leafs were 9-10-4, mired in mediocrity thanks to Mike Babcock’s worn-out coaching style and some truly baffling lineup decisions (a reminder that Jason Spezza was scratched on opening night for literally no reason other than spite).

Toronto Maple Leafs and Sheldon Keefe

In the 47 games that followed, despite massive injury troubles, particularly on the back end (Toronto’s supposed greatest area of weakness), Keefe’s Leafs were among the winningest teams in the entire NHL, amassing a 27-15-5 record. His .628 winning percentage (granted, on a sample size smaller than a full season) eclipses the winning records of all but one of Babcock’s four-and-a-quarter years as the Leafs bench boss. Based on that alone, Sheldon Keefe deserves a blank slate of judgment for the upcoming season, whenever it starts.

I know the Leafs Nation faithful are impatient for some wins, particularly in the playoffs when it matters most, but give the guy a chance to get settled before he gets thrown onto the hot seat.

With the hirings of Manny Malhotra and Paul McLean, Keefe has his staff now, the guys who will buy-in and support his vision for how the Leafs will play and eventually win it all. He’ll have his input with Kyle Dubas when it comes to making signings and trades for personnel that will fit his style, and best suit the core strategy of his team.

Not to be understated is the fact that Keefe was brought in mid-season and immediately thrust into the role of “get this team out of the dumpster right now.” He barely had time to implement a style or strategy and instead just tweaked a few things here and there as he mainly worked on flushing Babcock’s style out of the players. The fact that he was able to get such great results out of a team that seemed otherwise completely disengaged was nothing short of miraculous.

When the NHL resumes, Sheldon Keefe will get his first full training camp as the head of the Leafs. It is here that Keefe will finally be able to put his personal stamp on the team, and if his track record as both a player and the coach of the Marlies is any indication, he’ll teach the team to play with a true “clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose” mentality.

So, have some patience,, Keefe is the right man for the job, and the Leafs are in excellent hands.