3 reasons why the Winnipeg Jets should avoid hiring Sheldon Keefe as the next head coach

By Ryan Gagne

Modified May 09, 2024 18:48 GMT

On Monday afternoon, Winnipeg Jets head coach Rick Bowness retired, leaving one of the best teams in the Western Conference and NHL without a bench boss.

Although Bowness missed some time during the regular season for personal reasons, the Jets must have known this day was coming and have been quietly preparing for the moment.

With many NHL-caliber coaches available, the Jets haven't announced any replacements yet. They could have been waiting to see if Sheldon Keefe would become available, which he did on Wednesday morning when the Toronto Maple Leafs fired him.

Now that Keffe is available, does it make sense for him to switch conferences and take the role in Winnipeg?

Three reasons why the Winnipeg Jets should avoid hiring Sheldon Keefe as the next head coach

#3. Time off could be critical to Keefe's future

Keefe landed his first professional coaching job in 2006, serving as an assistant coach with the Pembroke Lumber Kings, the franchise he owned. Eventually, he would become general manager and head coach.

After selling the franchise in 2013, Keefe moved to the Ontario Hockey League, where he coached the Soo Greyhounds. He advanced to the Toronto Marlies in 2016, won a Calder Cup, and landed the head coaching job with the Maple Leafs in November 2019.

Sheldon Keefe's last playoff series with the Toronto Maple Leafs ended in defeat to the Bruins

Even though it's impressive to see Keefe work his way up through the ranks, he's only had one job in the NHL, and maybe a season away could allow him to regroup and find his next job instead of rushing into another commitment.

He's going to be paid by the Maple Leafs while sitting at home, and with an exceptional number of coaching vacancies, there could be even better opportunities in late 2024 and 2025 for him to pursue.

#2. Roster construction is entirely different

The Maple Leafs have over 40% of their salary cap devoted to four players: Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and John Tavares. In Winnipeg, no single player makes more than 8.6% of their cap, with just Mark Scheifele and Connor Hellebuyck set to make identical $8.5 million next season.

The Jets just finished one of their best seasons in franchise history, and despite being located in a major Canadian city, they could be labeled as a small-market team. Fans still care deeply about their team, but ownership doesn't have the same resources as the Maple Leafs.

If Keefe ended up in Winnipeg, he'd still be in the spotlight, just not as bright as Toronto. Considering how differently constructed the two lineups are, they are almost identical.

Hellebuyck is the elite netminder the Maple Leafs needed, while Nylander is the game-breaker the Jets could use. Believe it or not, Keefe would continue on the steady path of coaching a good enough team, still missing pieces to be a true contender.

#1. Replacing a legacy coach with a big-name

Bowness weaved his presence into the hearts and minds of the Winnipeg fans as everyone wanted to get him his first Stanley Cup ring. Although that didn't happen, and he was only behind the bench for two seasons, he will be a tough act to follow.

Keefe is now among the top coaches available and looking for a job. The Jets could bring him aboard to run the show, giving the reins to another big name, but they would miss an opportunity to provide the job to an upcoming coach with something to prove.

Unfortunately, NHL teams tend to recycle head coaches, and the next bench boss in Winnipeg will be a former coach who was in the league last season with a different club. This includes names like Keefe, Craig Berube, and Jay Woodcroft.