Ex-Toronto Maple Leafs Coach Early Favourite for the Jack Adams

The Toronto Maple Leafs may have changed coaches, but Sheldon Keefe remains in the news.

Keefe, on the outs in Toronto, is still apparently very respected around the NHL. The prevailing thought is that ex Toronto Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe is the early favourite to take home the Jack Adams this upcoming season.

Keefe is listed as the favourite with Travis Green closely behind.

Here’s my guess at why:

Keefe is not necessarily the best coach in the world, but because the New Jersey Devils set the bar so low last season, a return to the playoffs makes Keefe the favourite for the Jack Adams.

Ditto for Travis Green.

As you can see, oddsmakers are betting on teams who they expect to have a bounceback year, not the coaches themselves.

What About the New Toronto Maple Leafs Coach?

As for the Leafs Craig Berube, he's seen as an outside favourite for the Jack Adams. Berube and Edmonton Oilers' coach Kris Knoblauch are listed behind Keefe and Green, according to most analysts.

So, why wouldn’t Berube land higher on the list?

Please keep in mind the Toronto Maple Leafs are a good regular-season team and the voters for the award usually recognize coaches whose teams make large jumps in the standings. So, unless the Leafs win the Presidents’ Trophy, Berube won’t be close to the Jack Adams.

So, why don’t oddsmakers shove Berube all the way down to the bottom of the pile?

Oddsmakers seem confident that Berube can spark a turnaround in Toronto. As such, the Leafs could have a better regular season than last. However, that’s not a lock. So, oddsmakers can’t put their money on Berube without some reservation.

There’s another issue to consider: The Toronto Maple Leafs have a high regular-season bar. Therefore, a 50-win season, or even a division win, will not suffice for voters. If anything, voters will think that winning the division is the least the Leafs can do, given the roster they have.

If I were betting, I think Keefe would be a good choice for the Jack Adams. I like Keefe as a coach, and I believe he’ll do well in New Jersey. The Devils should be a pretty reasonable bet to make the playoffs and look a lot better than last year due to adding a goalie and getting back Dougie Hamilton.

As for Berube, I wouldn’t put my money on him. Unless the Leafs are on track for the Presidents’ Trophy by Christmas, Berube’s first year will come down to how well the club performs come April.