The writing was on the wall for Sheldon Keefe. When he spoke to the media as the players were clearing out their lockers, he looked like a man falling on his sword, and yesterday that’s exactly what he became. At 10 AM on May 9, the Toronto Maple Leafs announced that head coach Sheldon Keefe had been relieved of his duties and the search for his replacement would start immediately.
Keefe Took the Fall for Something That Was Not His Fault
What that tells me, aside from the fact Keefe has been fired, is that Toronto is not planning to make other changes in management. The release only says “… decisions regarding the remainder of the coaching staff will follow.” As far as I know, that doesn’t include general manager Brad Treliving or the president and alternate governor Brendan Shanahan. If decisions will follow, it means the people who will make those decisions are already in place. So does the fact that the organization will immediately begin the search for a new head coach.
The reason cited to relieve Keefe of his duties is that the organization felt like a new voice was needed in the room to push through and realize its ultimate goal. That’s fair, every coach gets fired one day. What worked, in the beginning, doesn’t work anymore sometimes, but if the Maple Leafs believe this is enough change, they are sorely mistaken.
From what I hear and see, it’s the “Shanaplan” that is upsetting people, they’ve had enough of it. Shanahan has been at the top of the mountain since he was hired on April 11, 2014. That’s 10 long years at the helm, and what has he got to show for it? One series win in 2023 and an overinflated payroll. That’s hardly satisfying. Understandably, Maple Leafs fans are fed up, they spent 19 years waiting for playoff success, and when they finally got it, it didn’t last long enough for them to believe it wasn’t a dream. Shanahan has slayed both Kyle Dubas and Keefe in consecutive years, when will he finally have to answer for his own failures?
What Needs to Be Addressed
They can use the “new voice” excuse as long as they want, but coaching wasn’t the biggest issue. The Maple Leafs are not properly built, not for the playoffs anyway. Success in the playoffs isn’t acquired by sending talented athletes who like flashy plays and nothing more than scoring, the playoffs are a battle, and they should be treated as such. To succeed, you need some grit and physicality. No, I’m not talking about the Ryan Reeves of this world. I’m talking about talented players with a bit of a mean streak. Not, and I am sorry to say, soft players who throw a tantrum on the bench.
If the Maple Leafs organization wants to reach its “ultimate goal” they must address the real issue and take the axe to their core. Mitch Marner’s contract will be up by the end of next season and before discussing an extension, they should test the waters to see who’s interested and what they could get in return. That will be the first hurdle, then there’s the small matter of getting him to agree to waive his no-movement clause, but with the heat he caught in those last playoffs and if the destination is attractive, it should be doable.
The first step to addressing an issue is to realize there is an issue. I liked Morgan Rielly’s comments on locker clearout day, he was the only one who dared to say the Maple Leafs weren’t that close to winning the Stanley Cup. Something that should be obvious to anyone who’s played on this team for more than a year.
Related: Morgan Rielly Gives Honest Assessment of Maple Leafs in Exit Interview
That being said, it doesn’t necessarily have to be Marner who goes, but I feel the trade would be better received than if they were to trade Auston Matthews or Morgan Rielly. Then, they also need to think about what they wish to do with John Tavares, he’s not getting any younger and he’s already lost some of his effectiveness. This season, he had 15 points fewer than the previous one, and only scored half the power play goals he did last season. I understand that it was his boyhood dream to play in Toronto but at the end of the day, this is a business and you’re only as good as your last performance… If Toronto doesn’t make any modifications to its roster, firing Keefe will have been completely pointless.