Sheldon Keefe to be targeted by rival team as soon as Leafs get eliminated!

The Maple Leafs are still alive and getting ready for Game 7 in their first round series against the Bruins in Boston on Saturday, there is another team ready to bounce on head coach Sheldon Keefe once Toronto gets ousted from the 2024 postseason.

According to Bruce Garrioch of Post Media, the Pittsburgh Penguins may be working on a plan to get Keefe back under general manager Kyle Dubas. On Friday, the Penguins parted ways with assistant coach Todd Reirden, and it is believed that more coaching changes will come in Pittsburgh this offseason.

This prompted Garrioch to point out that there have been rumours linking Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan to the Metropolitan rival New Jersey Devils, and GM Dubas could simply let him go in order to get Keefe back on his team.

“We’ll find out Thursday if the Leafs will go the distance and if it doesn’t, then coach Sheldon Keefe likely will be fired. If that happens, the sense is Berube will be a top candidate for the Toronto job and Pittsburgh GM Kyle Dubas may allow Sullivan to move to New Jersey so Keefe can be hired.” 

Bruce Garrioch

However, earlier this week, GM Dubas released a statement claiming the Devils have not asked permission to speak with Sullivan nor was permission granted. But, following the announcement of Reirden’s firing, insider Frank Seravelli posted on X, formerly known as Twitter:

“There was no shortage of friction in Pittsburgh, where as we reported, coach Mike Sullivan was vehemently opposed to making changes to his staff.
Now that GM Kyle Dubas has fired assistant coach Todd Reirden, is that the tipping point on Sullivan’s tenure?
We shall see.”

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