Huge ultimatum for Sheldon Keefe in Toronto!

Last week, the Toronto Maple Leafs signed head coach Sheldon Keefe to a two-year contract extension as the bench boss was entering the final year of his contract in 2023-24.

“I think Sheldon is a top coach,” GM Brad Treliving said on video call after the announcement. “When you’ve got good people, you want to keep them.”

However, that does not mean Keefe will stick around for the full term of his extension. According to Adam Proteau of The Hockey News, the Maple Leafs may not be as patient with the head coach this time around is Toronto is ousted early in the postseason.

“And although Keefe now has job security through the next three seasons, don’t make the mistake of believing the Leafs will keep him as their bench boss through the remainder of the new contract. If Toronto struggles for an extended time, or if the Leafs fail to make it beyond the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs next spring, it’s entirely possible that Shanahan and GM Brad Treliving move on from Keefe and absorb the two years that now are owed to Keefe.”

Proteau believes Keefe can relax, but he cannot forget the pressure from fans and management to get further into the Stanley Cup run in 2024.

“He’s got the same high expectations, and his new contract doesn’t take any of the heat off of him.”

Got that, coach?

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