[Rumour] Leafs Considering Extending Sheldon Keefe, Hire Guy Boucher as Assistant

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by bluejays

Keefe is a safe move as he has been in good books with the players. And I don't think that's a bad thing where they need to sign a lot of names. Especially Matthews. Let's face it, half the job is earning the coaches' respect and the other is the execution of the strategy. While they didn't execute as required, Keefe being ousted is a bit of a cop out. Let's see what the so-called Wizard can pull off here.

They have had very good regular season success under Keefe and as you say he's close with the players. Coaches with solid regular season success have been fired before for not getting things done in the playoffs but for a new GM still getting acquainted with the organization it's safer to keep with Keefe. Remember this is Toronto not Calgary so money isn't nearly the same issue when it comes to hiring/firing coaches. If things don't go well next season Treliving can always part ways as he did with Hartley.

[Spurs]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

Is Keefe a bad coach though? I would think if he were let go, he would get hired again pretty quickly.

Is he a good coach?

He has had a pretty talented team during his whole time in the NHL, a team that was ready made to compete when he got there, and he has done basically nothing with them in the play-offs.

Yes they are in a tough division with tough match-ups but if you can't beat good teams when you have a good team yourself how good are you?

I don't think he is such a good coach that a team needs to worry about losing him. He is nowhere near the top level of coaches in the NHL and if you replace him there is a good chance you are at worst getting a similar level coach.

[Erick Estrada]

Yeah but at the top of Treliving's list is talking extension with Matthews and maybe Nylander. Those players were tight with both of Dubas and Keefe. Firing Dubas didn't make it any easier to keep those players and it may be difficult to get Matthews to commit long term if Brad brings in his own coach as well. Keeping Keefe at least gives Matthews a reason to extend.

[activeStick]

So, the Leafs brought Guy Boucher in as Assistant Coach and the talk in town is that it may have been a Shanahan move as he's always been a Boucher guy and the Leafs almost brought him in when they fired Babcock years ago.

No extension yet for Keefe, wonder how he feels.

[Erick Estrada]

Why? There's a distinct and clear pattern with Boucher in Tampa and Ottawa where he has success in his first season and things unravel after. May as well hire Gallant as at least he's good for a couple of good seasons before he gets tuned out.