The Toronto Maple Leafs need help. They are different this season but also similar to what we have seen in the past. Their defence is atrocious, and like the last 50 years, are in desperate need of a true number one defenceman. It’s as though every management regime in recent memory has forgotten to build their blue line while attempting to load up on forwards. Something needs to change fast.
Many have argued that a new general manager (GM) owes his coach a trade before he thinks about firing them. However, that might not be the case for new GM Brad Treliving; he needs to take a very long look at his team and how things have gone since head coach Sheldon Keefe was hired in 2019. This means that Keefe’s job should be in jeopardy, and a decision could be made before American Thanksgiving (Nov. 24).
Keefe’s Tenure With the Maple Leafs
When Keefe was hired by the Maple Leafs, he was surrounded by hype. He was former GM Kyle Dubas’ hand-picked head coach and had worked with Dubas since his early days with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. Together, they won with the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League (AHL); unfortunately, they didn’t have that same success with the Maple Leafs. Throughout Keefe’s time with the NHL club, he has had a ton of stars, including Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, John Tavares, and Ryan O’Reilly, yet there has been no playoff success.
Last season, they beat the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round but were eliminated by the Florida Panthers in five games in the second. That seemed to be the final straw, and it looked like Keefe’s lack of playoff success and inability to coach in big moments would be the reason he was let go.
Then Dubas signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Keefe being fired seemed inevitable, especially after the Maple Leafs hired Treliving, who could have preferred a fresh start with a new head coach. However, that wasn’t the case, and Keefe signed an extension this summer. Fast forward to the 2023–24 NHL season, and well, it’s not going as planned.
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The Maple Leafs have been terrible compared to past seasons. They have had moments this season when it seemed like they were moving in the right direction – their two come-from-behind victories over the Lightning on Oct. 21 and Nov. 6, but there are also times when the team looks overwhelmed and discombobulated. Additionally, in those moments, Keefe seems to be out-coached by the opposition and/or is not being heard by his team, which is a good indication that a coach has lost the room. This is why if he and the team don’t turn things around, especially during the trip to Sweden (Nov. 17–19), Keefe should be let go.
Familiar Face Available for Hire
If Keefe is fired at some point in the next month, Bruce Boudreau has to be on the coaching replacement list for the Maple Leafs. In 1975, his boyhood dream came true when he was drafted by the club in the third round. He played for Toronto for the better part of six seasons and scored 27 goals and 69 points. Unfortunately, his NHL career didn’t last as long after he left the organization, spending parts of the next 11 seasons in the AHL and International Hockey League (IHL). His coaching career has yet to land him in Toronto but never say never.
He started coaching in the NHL in 2007–08 with the Washington Capitals, and after five seasons, he moved on to the Anaheim Ducks for another five. After leaving the Ducks in 2015-16, he took over as head coach of the Minnesota Wild for four years. His last stop may have been the hardest one of his career: the Vancouver Canucks. He took over for Travis Green in 2021–22, and after a great first season with the club, the second one was not good.
It was capped off by an emotional night, which was the last game that he coached for the Canucks before being fired. He is now a senior advisor with the Niagara IceDogs of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). His overall coaching record is 647 wins, 342 losses and 128 overtime losses, which ranks him in the top 20 of the winningest coaches in NHL history.
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If the opportunity presented itself, Boudreau would most definitely accept the role as the new head coach of the Maple Leafs. He is known as a player’s coach who will stand up for his players but can also rip into them when needed. He knows the proper balance to get as much success out of his players as possible. He could be a very good option for the Maple Leafs to get them on the right path.
Maple Leafs’ Internal Option
Of course, there’s also Guy Boucher, who was hired as the team’s assistant coach this offseason. He has NHL head coaching, most recently with the Ottawa Senators. He currently runs the power play, which seems to be the best part of the team right now. He has been known to be a tough-love type of coach, but it is reassuring to know that the Maple Leafs have an internal option should Keefe need to go.
Ultimately, the next few weeks will be extremely important for Keefe and the Maple Leafs. If he can turn things around and get the team back on track, he will save his job. However, if he can’t, and the team makes a mockery of themselves in Sweden, he should find himself looking for a new job.
