Thursday morning, the New Jersey Devils made the news that broke on Wednesday official by hiring of Sheldon Keefe as the team’s next head coach. With a new four-year deal in hand, Devils’ GM Tom Fitzgerald said in a statement, “Sheldon jumped to the top of my list when he became available, and I was thrilled when he agreed to be a part of what we are building here.”
Reports note that the Devils had to heavily pursue Keefe, who was seriously contemplating staying on the sidelines and collecting a big fat cheque from the Toronto Maple Leafs who were on the hook for as his new two-year contract extension hadn’t kicked in yet. But, a raise and the prospect of playing with some young talent swayed Keefe, allowing the Leafs to tear up that extension and get out a sizeable financial burden.
Keefe’s new four-year deal will officially void the extension Toronto was required to pay when they released him after another failed playoff run. As per Pierre LeBrun:
“Of note with NJ making the Sheldon Keefe hire official, the Leafs are 100 percent off the hook financially” He adds, “Keefe’s 2-year extension with the Leafs was ripped up as part of the Devils giving him a fresh, 4-year deal which pays more. Leafs won’t owe anything as part of it all.”
This is a significant blessing for the Maple Leafs, who now don’t have to pay two coaches for a full two seasons.
Having to Pay Keefe and Berube Would Have Been a Problem
It’s not that the Maple Leafs and MLSE can’t afford to pay two coaches salaries. They could have, and frankly, they’ve done so before. But, being on the hook for both Keefe and new coach Craig Berube over the next two seasons might have dictated some of their future decision making.
Had both Keefe and Berube remained on the payroll, what would have happened if the Berube experiment didn’t pan out? Most believe he’s the right guy at the right time, but his hire comes with no guarantees. This is a Leafs franchise that needs to see change and results. Both things are expected and patience in Toronto is wearing thin. What the Maple Leafs didn’t want was any lingering contract that weighed like an anchor on the ability of management to do the right thing, regardless of what that winds up being.
It’s Now Berube vs Keefe: Who Succeeds First?
There’s going to be a new storyline in the Eastern Conference now. Keefe takes the reigns of a talented young team in New Jersey that is poised to have a bounce-back season. He previously worked with Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Mitch Marner, and John Tavares, but couldn’t get that group over the hump. He’ll be challenged to get New Jersey there with a young core, but one that isn’t so top heavy at forward. With a young team with elite talent like Jack Hughes and Luke Hughes, and Nico Hischier, Keefe has a chance to stick it to Toronto.
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Meanwhile, Berube has the opportunity to do something Keefe couldn’t. If he’s able to do, it will be vindication for GM Brad Treliving and President Brendan Shanahan, who are essentially down to their last hand at the table. It is expected that Marc Savard will join Berube’s coaching staff and this group will be given a few new pieces on the roster to take Toronto farther than Keefe ever did.
With Keefe accepting the job in New Jersey, the narrative of who wins first will be fascinating. Had Keefe sat on the sidelines, Toronto may never have known if they made the right call or not. Let these two coaches go at it. Give them both solid teams and lets see who gets the most out of the respective roster.