Toronto Maple Leafs: It Looks Like Sheldon Keefe Is Staying
All signs point to the Toronto Maple Leafs keeping head coach Sheldon Keefe behind the bench this season.
According to TSN hockey insider Darren Dreger, discussions between Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving and Sheldon Keefe about a contract extension will happen over the summer.
Keefe has one year remaining on his existing contract as head coach of the Leafs. He has a 166-71-30 record in four seasons behind the bench. That is a winning percentage of .678 during the NHL regular season. However, Keefe only has one NHL playoff series win to his name.
As for right now, according to Dreger, Treliving and Keefe are in the process of filling the vacant assistant coach position. The position became available when Spencer Carbery left Toronto to become the new head coach of the Washington Capitals. Carbery helped the Maple Leafs have one of the best power plays in the NHL over the past two seasons. Hopefully, his replacement can do the same.
The search for Carbery’s replacement will likely be extensive, but there are plenty of worthy candidates available. Here is a look at a few possible options for Toronto’s new assistant coach.
Toronto Maple Leafs Next Assistant Coach Well Be…
Bruce Boudreau
If the Leafs decide to go with a veteran coach as their next assistant, then Bruce Boudreau is at the top of the list. Boudreau has stated that as much as he loves being a head coach, he would consider being an assistant coach for his beloved Toronto Maple Leafs.
He had the privilege of being drafted by the Leafs in 1975. Boudreau registered 69 points in 134 games over six seasons in Toronto. Being behind the Leafs bench is not an opportunity that comes around too often, so unless he has offers to be a head coach elsewhere, I think he’d accept a chance to be an assistant in Toronto.
Joel Ward
Former NHL player Joel Ward is rising through the ranks of coaches with NHL potential. Ward just completed his second season as an assistant coach with the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights. Ward’s easy-going personality has him already being well-liked behind the bench for the Golden Knights AHL affiliate. He joined the team in November 2020, and his current contract is up.
Hiring someone new and fresh might be a good thing for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ward is a local guy who was born in North York, Ontario. The chance to have a coaching job in the NHL would be great for Ward. Being a coach for the Maple Leafs would be a dream come true.
Cory Stillman
Cory Stillman’s rise through the coach rankings is no surprise to those who know him. He was the head coach of the Sudbury Wolves in the OHL for three years before being named an assistant in Arizona. He is known for having high expectations for players and holding them accountable.
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He’s on a few organizations’ radars, but being from Peterborough, I think Stillman would jump at the opportunity to coach in the NHL behind the Toronto Maple Leafs bench.