On Saturday night, I caught the New Jersey Devils vs. Edmonton Oilers matchup. The game was close early, but by the third period, the Devils had pulled away with a 5–3 win. Watching them, I couldn’t help but think this was the reincarnation of Sheldon Keefe — the same man who once coached the Toronto Maple Leafs, but wiser now, more grounded, and clearly in command of his team’s identity.
The Devils played nothing like Keefe’s Toronto Maple Leafs. They checked hard, pressed the puck, and made life miserable for the Oilers in their own zone. They capitalized on turnovers and appeared organized from the goal crease out. Edmonton never seemed to find its rhythm. It wasn’t flashy hockey, but it was efficient, rugged, and confident — words that didn’t always fit the Maple Leafs under Keefe.
It made me wonder if we’re seeing a coach who’s taken all the lessons from his Toronto years and put them to use in a place that lets him breathe a little more. After being fired in Toronto, Keefe was quickly hired by New Jersey.
New Jersey Is a Different Situation, But Keefe Is a Smarter Coach
Keefe’s time in Toronto was a study in both talent and tension. He coached one of the most gifted rosters in the league, but he also faced constant pressure to win. Every lineup decision, every loss, became a headline. He often sounded like a man trying to steady a ship that was never quite balanced.
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In New Jersey, the tone feels different. He’s working with a young, fast, but less star-driven group. The Devils still have their offensive weapons — Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, Luke Hughes — but they play a more complete game. You can see Keefe’s fingerprints on the structure: tighter defensively, more patient in transition, less desperate to score their way out of trouble.
Keefe looks like a coach who’s learned to build a foundation first. Maybe that only comes from experience — from the bruises of trying to teach structure to a team that didn’t want to hear it.
Keefe Has Morphed From Stars to Systems
Toronto’s offense was always driven by its top players. When they clicked, the team looked unstoppable. When they didn’t, it could feel like the air left the building. Keefe relied on creativity and puck control, but the Maple Leafs never fully committed to defending as a five-man unit.
With the Devils, you see the shift. The team checks with purpose. They collapse quickly in their own zone, then attack off turnovers. They play fast, but not loose. Against Edmonton, the forecheck was suffocating — the Oilers could barely move the puck cleanly out of their end.
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Keefe’s message now seems simpler: play connected, play responsible, and make their opponents work for every inch. That’s not just coaching maturity — that’s a coach who’s learned that skill alone won’t win when it matters.
In New Jersey, There Seems to Be a Better Fit Between Keefe and the Team
Keefe’s ideas haven’t changed all that much; the environment has. In Toronto, the microscope was enormous. Every loss carried the weight of history. Managing a room full of established stars under that kind of glare can wear a coach down.
(Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
In New Jersey, there’s more space to breathe — and to teach. The roster is younger, the market quieter. Players like Hughes and Hischier seem eager to be coached, not protected. Is that what makes the difference? You can see it in the way the Devils commit to small-area battles and defend with layers. You could see the buy-in, and when your best players defend, everyone else follows.
Give Keefe Credit for Learning on the Job
Coaching in Toronto must have left Keefe with scars, but those scars seem to have made him better. He once said he’ll be forever disappointed that the Maple Leafs never broke through. But those seasons taught him something that can’t be learned from theory: how to lead under pressure, how to adapt, and how to keep your message clear even when the noise is deafening.
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Now, behind the Devils’ bench, he looks more like a coach at peace with the job. He’s confident without being defensive, demanding without being desperate.
What It All Means for Keefe and the Devils
Maybe “reincarnation” isn’t the perfect word, but it feels close. Keefe didn’t reinvent himself — he grew into himself. From the small sample size I saw, the Devils are getting the best version of a coach who’s seen both sides of the NHL’s emotional spectrum: the hype and the heartbreak.
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On Saturday, that experience was on display. The Devils played like a reflection of their coach — composed, competitive, and quietly in control. If this is Sheldon Keefe 2.0, he’s not just better for the move. He’s better because of the journey that got him here.
