The NHL coaching carousel has been in full effect this offseason, as the New Jersey Devils are the latest team to find a new headman. On Thursday, it was announced that they have hired Sheldon Keefe to be their new coach.
According to Emily Kaplan of ESPN, via Greg Wyshynski of ESPN, the contract between Keefe and the Devils will be for four years. It didn’t take him long to land on his feet after being fired by the Toronto Maple Leafs two weeks ago.
“This is an exciting time, and I’m honored to be a member of the Devils’ organization,” Keefe said in a statement. “To have the chance to lead this young, dynamic team and to see the potential that can still be unlocked is all very attractive for me.”
The Maple Leafs made a move with Keefe less than a week after they lost in the First Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs to the Boston Bruins in seven games. Toronto fought hard despite not having Auston Matthews for a chunk of the series because of an illness.
He was replaced by former St. Louis Blues head coach Craig Berube. It was a bit surprising to see Sheldon Keefe fired, as he had two seasons remaining on his extension that he signed last August.
But, because the New Jersey Devils hired him, the Maple Leafs are no longer responsible for that expense. Sheldon Keefe is the third coach the Devils have had since March and fifth since 2019.
Lindy Ruff was fired by New Jersey during the 2023-24 season. New Jersey missed the playoffs after going 38-39-5. They saw some major regression this season, finishing with 31 fewer points than they had during the 2022-23 campaign when they advanced to the second round of the playoffs.
Sheldon Keefe will be responsible for getting the most out of a young core, similar to what he was tasked to do in Toronto. The Maple Leafs made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in all five seasons under Keefe, but their drought of advancing reached record-setting lengths.
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