Former Toronto Maple Leafs head coach and new New Jersey Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe is getting some surprising love from those who put the odds together for end-of-the-season awards. He’s emerged as a betting favorite to win the Jack Adams Award for the 2024-25 season.
Keefe leads the pack for the award, which is given to the NHL’s best regular-season head coach. His odds are listed at +700. Interestingly, he is followed by Travis Green (first-year head coach of the Ottawa Senators) at +800 and Andrew Brunette (who is in his second season with the Nashville Predators) at +900.
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What’s surprising is just how little support Stanley Cup finalist coach Kris Knoblauch of the Edmonton Oilers received. His odds of winning the Jack Adams is +1,100. That seems low and is just ahead of Maple Leafs newcomer Craig Berube. Berube replaced Keefe early in the offseason and is listed at +1,200.
Why Did the Maple Leafs Fire Sheldon Keefe?
The Maple Leafs showed Keefe the door on May 9 after five seasons with the team. Despite signing a two-year extension in August 2023, Keefe was let go after the Boston Bruins ended Toronto’s postseason run in overtime of Game 7. The goalie who let in that postseason-ending goal was Ilya Samsonov. He, too, is no longer with the team, having signed a one-year deal with the Vegas Golden Knights.
When Maple Leafs General Manager (GM) Brad Treliving announced the decision in a press release, he noted: “Today’s decision was difficult. Sheldon is an excellent coach and a great man; however, we determined a new voice is needed to help the team push through to reach our ultimate goal. We thank Sheldon for his hard work and dedication to the organization over the last nine years and wish him and his family all the very best.”
Keefe’s resume with Toronto included a commendable 212-97-40 record in 349 regular-season games. However, his postseason record was less impressive, with Toronto advancing in only one playoff series during his tenure.
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In his farewell comments to Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star on May 28 (a phone interview on the day he was introduced to New Jersey), Keefe looked back on his “tremendous opportunity” in Toronto and expressed his gratitude: “It was [a] tremendous honor to coach the Maple Leafs. There’s a lot that goes into that. I’ve had several well-established coaches in the league reach out to say that I should be happy now that I get to coach in the real NHL. Toronto is unique … it’s not like the rest of the league” (from “A tremendous honor.’ Sheldon Keefe reflects on coaching the Leafs, the day he was fired, and his fresh start,” Kevin McGran, The Toronto Star, 28/05/2024).
Devils’ Aim at Bounceback Led by Sheldon Keefe
The Devils jumped on Keefe despite a disappointing 2024 Postseason. New Jersey, which had its problems as a team, finished the 2023-24 regular season with a 38-39-5 record. They missed the playoffs, in contrast to their stellar 52-22-8 record and second-place finish in the Metropolitan Division the season before.
Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald quickly confirmed Keefe’s services once his availability was known. He noted his belief that Keefe could guide his Devils’ franchise to a Stanley Cup. Fitzgerald commented that “Sheldon checks a lot of boxes that I was looking for. From the get-go, it was evident that Sheldon would be a great partner for me. Someone I can partner up with. Someone who can challenge me and vice versa.”
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Keefe is also enthusiastic about the new chapter, as he shared in his introductory press conference: “The expectations are high, and I’m drawn to that. I’ve never coached any team at any level that didn’t expect to win every time they put their equipment on. That’s the case here. That excites me from Day 1. So, here we are.”
Ironically, Other Devils Coaches Are Ranked High in the Preseason Poll
There are some ironies about Keefe being ranked so high in the Jack Adams Award predictions. He’s joined by former Devils coaches Green and Brunette. Does this suggest that, while the Devils have shuffled through several coaches, these same former coaches are now being recognized for their potential success elsewhere?
Also interesting is Lindy Ruff’s return. The former Devils head coach, who is now with the Buffalo Sabres, also showed up with some good odds – after being replaced in New Jersey, Ruff is still considered a potential top coach, indicating that the Devils might have had strong coaching talent but struggled to leverage it fully.
The NHL coaching carousel just keeps spinning. Keefe was let go by the Maple Leafs due to postseason shortcomings, yet he’s now the top candidate for an award recognizing regular-season excellence. Such ironies underscore the unpredictable nature of coaching careers and how past experiences with one team can lead to recognition and potential success with another.
The Regular Season Outlook for the Devils
Interestingly, even after missing last year’s postseason, the Devils are listed as one of the NHL’s favorites for the Stanley Cup. They are at +1100 on Fan Duel Sportsbook. They trail the two most recent Stanley Cup finalists, the Oilers (+850) and Florida Panthers (+950), as well as the Dallas Stars (+1000). The Colorado Avalanche share the same +1100 odds as New Jersey. Nowhere close to being a favorite is Toronto (they are ranked eighth). While the NHL field looks competitive for 2024-25, it would seem that the Maple Leafs are still on the outside looking in.
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Good luck to Keefe as he takes the reigns of his new team. Perhaps the Devils will have a bounce-back season and will be able to translate their high expectations into tangible success on the ice. Then again, it could also happen for the Maple Leafs. This year, however, few are naming the underdog Blue & White team to go very far.
