Toronto Maple Leafs fire coach Sheldon Keefe after another early playoff exit
The Toronto Maple Leafs should look for a new head coach this off-season.
Sheldon Keefe is not the man for the job, and every year, he gets out-coached in the playoffs. He’s not to blame for all the Toronto Maple Leafs mistakes, but it’s easier to fire one coach than to fire 23 players.
At the end of the day, someone needs to pay the price, and I think it’s time for the Leafs to try a different voice and coaching style.
The Toronto Maple Leafs need to find a coach who will hold his players accountable for poor efforts. There have been too many times when Leafs players show little to no effort and are not held accountable.
Fans are tired of seeing players who make $7 million or more show no determination on every play. If a player wants to glide around the ice instead of showing some hustle and outworking their opponent, bench them or make them sit in the press box for a few games.
Hopefully, the Leafs will fire Keefe and bring in a coach who will show these players some tough love. Now, some will say the Leafs had that type of coach when Mike Babcock was here. Babcock was fired for something he did off the ice.
There’s a difference between being strict and being stupid. Babcock made a stupid decision, and it cost him his job. Finding a coach with Babcock tendencies on the bench is not a bad thing.
The eras of Pat Burns and Pat Quinn are long gone, but that style of coaching is what this Leafs team needs. I hope Leafs general manager Brad Treliving notices that need to.
When he searches for a new head coach, I hope he finds the tough-loving, hard-nosed coach this team deserves. Here is a look at five possible options for Treliving and the Leafs to consider.
The Toronto Maple Leafs Rumour Mill is already hot and heavy even though the off-season just started.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are all but certain to fire head coach Sheldon Keefe and get a new voice in the room for next season.
But, predictably, the rumours are the same three guys every hockey fan knows: Todd McLellan, Craig Berube and Gerard Gallant.
Unfortunately, based on what we know about Brad Treliving, that probably includes the sum of his choices. Personally, I think the Leafs should go in another direction.
Bruce Boudreau is the guy the Leafs should choose because he is the most likable person in the NHL. He is going to be beleved by his players, the media and the fans. That goodwill will go a long way at any time, but right now especially.
The Leafs could use a PR win and Bruce Boudreau is a slam dunk.
Another reason for the Leafs to choose Boudreau is that he is a coach who has a reputation for getting the most out of offensive players. For whatever reason the Leafs have been obsessed with doing a 180 on their playing style every time the playoffs roll around.
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