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Fire up the Sheldon Keefe speculation |
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Let the speculation begin. As the Maple Leafs bowing out of another first round with their top end players in their prime, it has come at the cost of the head coach.
The connections to Kyle Dubas are glowing like a bright florescent light. Anybody could draw a straight line from a Keefe firing to speculation starting about him and the Penguins.
Hiring Keefe, in any capacity whether an assistant at the NHL level or WBS head coach, would be a direct warning shot to Mike Sullivan. There's no other way to interpret that if it happens. There is a growing sentiment in the fan base who would like Mike Sullivan to go elsewhere. He hasn't won a playoff series since 2018 and the team has missed the playoffs the past two seasons. There are valid critiques and criticisms of Sullivan as a coach.
All that said, I don't have any interest in Sheldon Keefe. I would rather ride it out with Mike Sullivan. I look at the Leafs inability to find traction in the postseason the past few years and I don't find myself yearning to move onto Keefe. I'm not enamored with a coach dressing Ryan Reaves in playoff games in 2023-24.
Furthermore, I need Kyle Dubas to evolve and keep looking at new ways to improve. His defense first forward approach has left something to be desired in both Toronto and Pittsburgh. Hiring the coach he is most associated with seems like a lateral move at best and hunkering down into what is familiar. I'm not interested in it. If you're going to move on from Mike Sullivan take a real swing at things to change things up.
Some of Keefe's quotes lately have landed flat with me.
Yeah, that's the sport. Other teams are going to scheme to beat you.
I fully anticipate Keefe being hired by the Penguins. Just a matter of what position.
Pittsburgh Penguins Blogger • 
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