Sheldon Keefe and Maple Leafs GM Discuss Contract Extension

Reports have come out that Maples Leafs GM Brad Treliving, who started the position on June 1, will have talks this summer with current team head coach Sheldon Keefe on the possibility of extending the latter’s contract.

Don’t forget to check some NHL Draft themed props.

Maple Leafs and Keefe May Extend Partnership

The winds of change happened swiftly this spring for the Toronto Maple Leafs. After being eliminated in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs by the Florida Panthers, the franchise said goodbye to former general manager Kyle Dubas. Shortly thereafter Dubas became president of hockey operations with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

As for the Leafs, they hired Brad Treliving as GM, formerly with the Calgary Flames. His first day on the job was June 1. Of the many orders of business that require taking care of – most notably the upcoming draft picks – is the matter of Sheldon Keefe’s contract situation.

He was most recently signed for two years through the 2023-2024 campaign, which would be next season. That said, there is no denying that a degree of malaise permeates the Maple Leafs fanbase regarding Keefe’s relative lack of success behind the bench since earning the job in 2019.

“Relative” insofar as Toronto has consistently performed well in the regular season, but much less so in the playoffs. An early elimination in a special bubble series in 2020, a first-round defeat to the historic rival Canadiens in 2021, another first-round failure in 2022 to the Lightning, and a quick second-round elimination in 2023 at the hands of the Panthers.

As per Sportsnet’s hockey analyst Elliot Friedman, the Maple Leafs will most likely want to avoid a “lame duck” scenario. This is when a head coach enters a campaign, most likely their last because of lack of commitment from management on a prolonged contract. That suggests that an extension will be agreed upon, but only time will tell for certain.