3 reasons why New Jersey Devils will regret hiring Sheldon Keefe as their next coach

By Cole Shelton

Modified May 23, 2024 17:39 GMT

The New Jersey Devils have hired Sheldon Keefe to a four-year contract to be their new head coach.

New Jersey general manager Tom Fitzgerald said Keefe was their top target:

"This was an invigorating process for me, having met with many qualified candidates and hearing how attractive this position was to them," Fitzgerald said, via NHL.com. "Sheldon jumped to the top of my list when he became available, and I was thrilled when he agreed to be a part of what we are building here. He is an excellent communicator, believes in collaboration, and will take what he has learned previously to make this team a Stanley Cup contender."

Although Keefe had success in the regular season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, he was unable to turn that into much of anything when it counted. Keefe was at the helm to end the long 19-year playoff-series victory drought in 2023, but had only one series victory in his time with the Leafs.

New Jersey may regret this hiring.

3 reasons why New Jersey Devils will regret hiring Sheldon Keefe

#1. Lack of playoff success

Although Sheldon Keefe had a ton of success during the regular season with the Maple Leafs, his team struggled mightily in the playoffs.

Keefe won just one playoff series, as Toronto was eliminated in the first round in four of the five years, as the Leafs went 16-21 in the playoffs under him.

New Jersey is hoping to take the next step and get back to not just the playoffs, but winning in the playoffs. Kefee has proven he doesn't have success in the playoffs.

#2. He gets outcoached

Sheldon Keefe has been outcoached throughout his career, especially during the playoffs.

In the playoffs, home-ice advantage is massive, as the home team gets the last change, which means they should be able to have success as they can match lines. However, Keefe didn't do that often and went 5-13 at home in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

#3. He doesn't force accountability

Throughout Sheldon Keefe's time as the head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, he wasn't hard on his players or forced accountability.

Keefe was known for letting his players take control, and his speeches went viral showing how lackluster they were, as he doesn't demand intensity as other coaches do.

Under Keefe, there were many issues with the top players for Toronto.

New Jersey has plenty of young players and needs a coach who isn't afraid of yelling at them and putting them in their place. This may not have been the right decision for the Devils.