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Toronto Maple Leafs: Sheldon Keefe’s Best and Worst Decisions

By Wilbert Timmermans

GLENDALE, ARIZONA - NOVEMBER 21: Head coach Sheldon Keefe of the Toronto Maple Leafs looks up from the bench during the first period of the NHL game against the Arizona Coyotes at Gila River Arena on November 21, 2019 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - NOVEMBER 21: Head coach Sheldon Keefe of the Toronto Maple Leafs looks up from the bench during the first period of the NHL game against the Arizona Coyotes at Gila River Arena on November 21, 2019 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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Toronto Maple Leafs
GLENDALE, ARIZONA – NOVEMBER 21: Head coach Sheldon Keefe of the Toronto Maple Leafs . (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

My Take

Minutes, the best decision by far; minutes. Where Keefe’s predecessor lacked confidence in his top players, Keefe recognizes what’s best for the team and trusts his best players with top minutes and it’s paying off.

Looking back on the last full season under Mike Babcock (the 2018 – 2019 season), there’s already a very big change visible in the average time on the ice during 5v5 for the top line with Marner and Matthews;

During the 2018 – 2019 season, Matthews’s ATOI was 15 minutes per game in 5v5, so far this season under Dubas, Matthews ATOI is 17 minutes and 20 seconds per game. Marner made a jump from 14 minutes and 47 seconds to 16 minutes and 38 seconds in ATOI in 5v5. (stats per naturalstattrick).

Given Matthews has been admittedly one of the best players in the league 5v5 since entering the league in 2016, it’s a no-brainer, nonetheless, the best move by Keefe.  The average time Nylander and Tavares are on the ice 5v5 has hardly changed (dropped a little bit), telling us Keefe plays his bottom-six lines a lot less than Babcock did. Again, a no-brainer, but still.

Despite the increase of minutes, Matthews possession numbers are still of the charts, proving he can handle the minutes without losing his dominant presence on the ice.

Heck, his xGF percentage (55.31%), HDCF percentage (58.33%), and SCF (59.47%) percentages have been better so far this season than any other season before. (all stats naturalstattrick.com).

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