Instant Analysis - Sheldon Keefe Hired By New Jersey Devils

Steve Dangle breaks down the New Jersey Devils decision to hire former Toronto Maple Leafs bench boss Sheldon Keefe as their new head coach.
For general inquiries email: [e-mail]
Reach out to www.sdpn.ca/sales to connect with our sales team and discuss the opportunity to integrate your brand within our content!

[@baylaust]

I'm not saying the Devils are gonna be getting a cup this year or anything. But I'm saying that it would be REALLY funny if they did.

[@MoxGoat]

happened to boston when vegas won the cup with Bruce Cassidy

[@billverge7822]

like Kessel winning back to back cups with Pit after being traded? lol

[@gareman9417]

That would be PERFECT. Good luck Keefe

[@kidfortoday]

They won’t lol

[@NikolaJokerMVP15]

Kessel left Toronto and didn't wait long to win a cup. Bozak left Toronto and didn't wait long to win a cup. I won't be surprised if Devils win a cup within the next few years.

[@EmilySaxton]

As a Devils fan, I’m genuinely super pumped for this hiring. LETS GO DEVILS

[@jackmuscle4898]

Yall regular season going to be crazy

[@StarFinderWebb]

Boooooo

[@jdevilsfan2133]

Let's go DEVILS!!!

[@DDWyss]

He's going to be so great in NJ!

[@judistzoinkiski3395]

Wonder if they can get Woodcroft for PP or even steal Jessica Campbell from Coachella, plus fitzy and keefe have to fire Goalie coach and Taylor, Keep McGill his PK has been top 12 last two years and of course gotta keep Brylin, so in the end PP coach who isnt an ex keefe staff, D coach and goalie coach but i have no faith in them to do anything Smart with this staff.

[@thepalisadeview627]

Devils fan here. I’m excited. Definitely think Keefe will be a breath of fresh air after the staleness of Lindy Ruff’s system and personality. I don’t know if we’re going to immediately be back to the level we were at in 22-23, but this is a really good hire

[@shannancampbell7920]

Sheldon Keefe deserves everything coming his way an awsome coach and person

[@LowKeyContender]

100%

[@borrow4654]

That wasnt the song i heard when the leafs kept losing round 1 series with Keefe getting outcoached constantly

[@OWlsfordshire]

​​@@borrow4654 Yeah, Leafs fans are bi-polar weirdos towards everyone involved with the organization. Gotta be the most toxic relationship in history.

[@Heggsabee]

Absolutely. It was time to move on and bring in a new voice, but Keefe was a great coach with the Leafs and improved the team significantly while he seemed to grow too.

[@shannancampbell7920]

@@Heggsabee Well said

[@connormelber2758]

The devils David puddy impression at the end was top tier, thanks Steve

[@quelchx]

Wish Keefe all the best moving forward.

[@ontariosmosthaunted]

Looks like Adam Wylde cant escape him lol

[@scoopscj1]

As the Devils fan, I really appreciate this video. Your hockey knowledge is evident. Thanks.

[@richardberman2778]

Anyone who thinks that Sheldon Keefe was the problem in Toronto is kidding themselves. He needed to go because the team needs a new voice in the locker room. But it’s not his fault that the general manager stuck him with substandard goaltending and defense. Coaches get too much credit for success and too much blame for failure. But the problem with the Toronto Maple Leafs was not poor game management: it was poor roster construction.

[@tehbeernerd]

I’m relieved that the main Leafs fan response to this hire was “we got rid of the wrong guy”

[@tordartcal]

I'm a die hard leaf fan. I'll miss SK behind the bench. He will make NJD a better team and a playoff contender. 🤟

[@nrusso967]

Thank you for making me feel more secure about the Devils' signing Sheldon Keefe, Steve! I forgot about who was on the Calder Cup winning team. I needed the reminder badly! Thank you very much again, Steve!!! Nancy

[@carlospina3875]

Appreciate the input. As a Devils fan I’m really excited to see what Keefe can bring to the table. Hopefully he can get even more out of the top guys, and I love your point about the D core. Keep up the great work.

[@pahul79]

Keefe is a good coach. Nj is stacked with young talent, he will take you guys tot he playoffs and win rounds

[@michaelb4590]

Good analysis. Love the humor interjected

[@user-ty5md6kj6p]

Dude, when you speak without the Maple Leafs jersey, you actually make more sense. I can respect that. I buried my jersey in '73.

[@OWlsfordshire]

He's been trying to bury his for years, but only the Leafs fans want this type of content lol.

[@KP-05]

LOL you’re thumbnail is hilarious

[@TheMalMeninga]

Steve: 😐

[@TheClutchCanuck]

An expression a dad makes when their son tells them they want to be a professional juggler

[@jeffer1101]

The Devils should do well with Keefe. I know the Devils had a bad year, but they needed a goalie (that falls on the GM) and they lost Hamilton which really hurts. The Devils are a good team (when they are all there and they have a good goalie).

[@martinrosario4018]

Elite team* when having good goaltending and everyone healthy

[@jeffer1101]

@@martinrosario4018 I won't argue with that. They are a young team with lots of very good players. If they can keep everyone together and healthy and get decent goaltending, they can be very successful for a very long time.

[@LouieNJ]

I would say the goalie doesn't have to be good. Average would be enough... And that's been a tall ask, not that the defense helped.

[@jeffer1101]

@@LouieNJ If you have a decent group, you can win with average goaltending. That is "good" goaltending. Of course, if you have elite goaltending, that improves your chances further, but there's only a handful of those available so that's an unlikely option (hard to get).

[@user-xn2dv8qw1i]

See this is the thing. Hamilton is not the excuse here. Even when he was healthy, he was defensively a pylon and a turnstile this season. His claim to fame on D is his rocket of a shot.

[@like17badgers]

cant wait for the Devils to win the cup next year now

[@nrusso967]

Me too!!!

[@spicoli3357]

Great take Steve, you nailed it with this video!! Keep up the work buddy!

[@DB-xm8hu]

If Keefe does well with the Devils, I hope this leads to a deep analysis in Toronto on why he did better with the Devils...

[@kidfortoday]

Because Toronto is a team full of overpaid underachievers that will never win a cup. It’s great to see every playoffs. You leaf fans are the Charlie Brown of fan bases. Never change dolts.

[@driftlucent]

@@kidfortodayAgreed. They are paid too much due to their names being popular. Doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing but for Toronto it seems like the only thing they care about is their fame ego rather than focusing on the games themselves when it matters most.

[@johnsmith-ph1if]

@DB-xm8hu To much money in to few players. Get rid of 2 of the core [20 million] and get 4 to 6 good d men and goalies which keefe never had

[@teeganreed7989]

I love this move for NJ! I think the Devils will be a perennial playoff team with Keefe at the helm. Look out for them next season! Jack Hughes for the Hart!!

[@Wadenine3]

Do a stats analysis video on the strength of each division. Maybe according to playoff results? I’ll start: since Keefe was hired in 2019, a team in the Atlantic division has made the cup final EVERY SINGLE YEAR with 2 cup wins in that time. Maybe I’m a biased leaf’s fan but I can’t imagine any other division has had measurable success anywhere close to the Atlantic.

[@djentleman7]

I'm excited for Keefe. I agree, I think he's a good coach and a great fit for this team. Hopefully Berube does well for the Leafs as well. 🤝

[@davidk7534]

As a Devils fan, THANK YOU STEVE!! You got me pumped up!

[@tddongtv]

I wish Dubas and Keefe all the success in life! We'll never forget their Calder Cup championship team Toronto Marlies!!! The only championship hockey team we'll ever see.

[@Heggsabee]

That was an incredible time, but I hope you're wrong. The PWHL team should at least win one.

[@thenvpshow7627]

As a Devils fan, I'm Optimistic. I personally feel that it's gonna work out. The Devils are structured better on the back-end than the Leafs have been. If Tom Fitzgerald does the work in the offseason with goaltending, bottom 6 depth and a goal scorer for Jack this team can really take off.

[@WW3_Soon]

Imagine Keefe’s Devils meeting Berube’s Leafs in the playoffs?

[@ace935]

Thanks, Steve!

[@essvee225]

Next season’s Hughes Bowl(s) will be bombastic.

[@nrusso967]

Especially if all the stars align and Quinn becomes a Devil too!

[@Jo3Mama235]

I'm so pumped for next season already

[@flodareltih9825]

The Devils will definitely draw more attention than usual next season.

[@davinpoggy]

Devils fan here, i originally wasnt to excited about the hiring but after hearing your thoughts im actually excited now about keefe.

[@Chimeratech8]

Keefe got the Leafs playing well defensively and kept goals against down despite having unreliable goaltending. I think he will be successful in getting NJD back into the playoffs, but the important thing will be the lessons he learned from Toronto's playoff failures.

[@wilseph1]

Only if NJ get a goaltender. If not, it's the New Jersey Leafs again.

[@Chimeratech8]

@@wilseph1 I think Keefe has shown he can still put up good results without strong goaltending (Leafs had to start Martin Jones for a while) at least in the regular season. In the playoffs, it's definitely a different story but I'm sure Devils fans and management will cross that bridge when they get there.

[@wilseph1]

@@Chimeratech8 I would agree. Part of me does believe that there was support lacking from management as it related to his message to the players. There is no way he didn't make attempts to correct previous playoff failures. The fact that Sheldon found a new team this quickly speaks volumes to his quality as a Head Coach. Plus, getting paid by the Leafs next season as well doesn't hurt either!

[@ThexSleepingDragon]

@@wilseph1 Did you even watch the video? The leafs don't have to pay him anymoe.

[@wilseph1]

@@ThexSleepingDragon I posted before watching the video. Looks like Sheldon is getting more from NJ, so the Leafs are off the hook.

[@johnsmith-ph1if]

Keefe will enjoy less trial by media in New Jersey. The unprecedented scrutiny and criticism from the Toronto media is probably a big part of why the leafs choke under pressure.

[@joer8854]

For devils fans I will say that there's a rule that was put in place directly because of Keefe's coaching and influence. That rule is because players were coming up too fast according to other teams. Generally speaking coaches who have rules created because of them have historically not been bad coaches. All the best to you and Keefe.

[@ryder5122]

Congrats to RA for breaking the news!

[@EmitRelevart]

Congrats, Sheldon! Good luck!

[@BaldyGoatCoot]

Calling it, the Devils will win a Stanley Cup within 5 years.

[@NYCwelder]

Great vid man. Your point about the Devils D corp is for some reason not being brought up on main stream media. I have even heard the comparisons of Torontos “Core Four” to the Devils “Core Four” and I get confused. Matthew’s and Nylander are obviously the best players between the 2 teams, but when you compare value, Those 2 guys cost as much as Jack, Nico, Marino and Seigs. Your sacrificing and entire defensive pairing to afford your 70 goal scorer. The Devils are deeper and have a lot of potential. I’m hopeful Keefe can maximize that potential and bring us success!

[@duskrem_]

I am so excited for next season. LET'S GO DEVILS!

[@cheddarandsourcream]

Right now the goal for the devils is being a perennial playoff team. If there’s one thing we know Keefe is absolutely capable of it’s getting his team to the playoffs.

[@bryanjennings7410]

Agree with everything you said about him being a great fit

[@jeffreydignard9063]

I hope he does well he got the players on that team and a good mix he has to stop screwing with the lines when he's got something good going

[@rodchallis8031]

Marc Savard just parted ways with the Flames.

[@safejewel2072]

That’s a great play by New Jersey. Regular season was not up to snuff this year, if they can get to the playoffs, I think they can have some moderate success in the playoffs

[@AtrainAlex89]

Yes the Pembroke Lumber Kings are a Jr A hockey team out of the Central Canada Hockey League. In 2007 he led the team to a league championship and then to the National Canadian championship, losing in overtime in the semi-finals to the eventual National Champions Aurora Tigers. He also won the league championship with them for 5 straight years

[@PWiz30]

As a Devils fan, my initial reaction to the hiring was meh, but the more I had a chance to think about it the more I like it. The Devils analytics department is reputed to be one of the stronger ones in the league and from what I've heard about Keefe, it sounds like he's well equipped to make good use of their insights. I'd bet that's a big part of why Fitz was so excited to land him. Plus, I was actually really impressed by the way the Leafs adjusted in the Bruins series this year. I still have a few small reservations about Keefe but I do think he was probably the best option available and I'm excited to see what he can get out of our core.

[@randallwillis5662]

As a fan & proud wearer of a Marlies jersey #18 with the name Calder, I am biased about Keefe, but I wish him well and hope he finds success with the Devils. As you said, Steve, his time with the Leafs was over... it happens to a lot of coaches... and as the Marlies discovered with Dallas Eakins (who is still a fan fav at the Coca-Cola Coliseum), there are coaches who will get you close and coaches who will put you over the top. Perhaps Keefe can help the Devils get closer and maybe go over the top.

[@matthewlozy1140]

LETS GO DEVILS!! I'm happy with Keefe, I agree I think he's a great fit.

[@lankancheetah]

If Keefe can find a way to get a 100% healthy Palat for the playoffs, watch out.

[@brettrossi034]

I see a lot of Devils fans on the IG post that are hating on it because of the Leaf's first round exits, but im excited and optimistic being a lifetime Devils fan. Fresh start, young and rising team with lots of great stars. Lets get the train rolling! 😈

[@TheWorkOver]

feeling really good about the hire as a Devils fan

[@tordartcal]

Sad to see SK leave toronto, but yes, a change for both. All the best to Sheldon.🤟

[@vipeholmskolan6052]

I agree, this is the right fit for NJD.

[@lMike2Dopel]

Devils have cap space to still use and aren't committed to building everything around 4 offensive players only. If Devils get goaltending, they will be dangerous, bringing in a few more players that can provide some grit won't be that expensive. They have Dougie Hamilton and up ane coming Luke Hughes on the back end, Keefe never had a defensemen like either lol. I'm just saying it will be very interesting to see how Keefe does coaching a more well rounded team vs a solely offensive juggernaut

[@GuyWhoLovesToGame]

I am ready for the Keefe era in NJ!

[@lauig]

The NJD struggles this year did not stem as much from goalie issues as they did from letting go of their very best defensive guy & overall team stabilizer in Damon Severson just to take a gamble on yet to be fully developped younger guys. (One can draw a parallel with the call of firing Dubas just as he had finally patchworked somewhat of a better functioning defense only to let Treliving hire guys like Klingberg, Edmundson etc)

[@randsimon1313]

Whichever goalie Fitz brings in will mostly determine how Keefe looks. Most think it will be Markstrom due to cost, but I hope Fitz can do even better and bring in a 1A and have Allen as 1B or straight up backup. With Dougie back, I think it will settle the defense core, but a crease-clearing dman is still sorely needed! Let's GO Devils! Score a billion goals!

[@christanzola8633]

Compare Dubas’ slimy (on both sides) exit from Toronto last year to Keefe’s graceful exit this year. Night and day. Good for Keefe and good for the Devils. Hope they succeed except against the Leafs

[@mattsantoro1480]

100% agree Steve

[@michaelchiesi2113]

As a devils fan and regular follower of your show (yes I like your shows better after leafs win unless they beat the devils 😂) I agree with your take on the change and the comparisons to the leafs team he took over are uncanny. Either way this will be a fun season!

[@TranTek]

Keefe did what he had and given Look at Game 5 and 6 and most of game 7 if they really step it up

[@gotggamers]

I really wanted Woodcroft until Keefe became available, and would have been happy with either or - really excited to see what he does here.

[@DPSARAUJO]

I'm happy he's with NJ and I'm really happy he's not coaching the Leafs anymore. This should have happened a few years ago. New Era GO LEAFS GO 💙

[@viperswhip]

Hmm, I assumed they were waiting for Rod, but I don't know if he has been fired or not.

[@Pyrospriter042]

I kind of get the same vibes I had with this hire as I did when the Knights hired Cassidy. Just a great fit for what the team needs. Not saying Keefe will then also win the Cup his first year with the Devils, but it definitely feels like the right fit for the squad they have at the moment to have the best chance at it.

[@matteodilullo2795]

Glad for Sheldon finally going to a class organization alot of pressure will be off him

[@MetallicaRules]

I was at the Devils v Maple Leafs a couple years ago when the Devils had 3 goals overturned and the fans threw chicken fingers and beer onto the ice and the Leafs bench. I think we need write him an apology

[@larscederberg8564]

Great to see that Keefe got hired as the new coach of Devils and it doesn't matter who is coaching the Leafs because even Babcock couldn't win

[@lilturbo2657]

Happy devils sounds

[@matthewsommerville8911]

Good for him. I feel bad because he said how they should have playednand was right. The problem is it seemed like the players didnt respect him like they should have. I hope he does good things just not against my leafs lol

[@pringlemcdingle9919]

As a Leafs fan, don't get your hopes up about Sheldon Keefe. I will say he is a good regular season coach but will get out coached in the playoffs. Here is what I saw in the last 5 years: 1. Plays a heavy puck possession style. Don't expect to be a forechecking/physical team (Devils will be seen as a soft under his system). His style doesn't translate well in the playoffs 2. Doesn't believe in physicality (hitting, scrums, and fighting) and chasing hits and he even admitted this himself a couple of times during his media availability. A lot of players will stop to turn around and play defense rather than going in for a bodycheck to cause a turnover in the OZ 3. Neuters physical players. You could trade for Tom Wilson and he will turn him into a Mitch Marner 4. Lack of accountability for your star players (country club) versus depth players. One of the biggest issues we had in Toronto was a star player not being benched when they played poorly (Marner, Matthews, Tavares, and Nylander) and instead benches bottom 6 players when a "message" needs to be sent like David Kampf. If he calls out his star players, he will walk it back in the next media availability 5. His brain shuts off during the playoffs (part of being out-coached). He will try tactics/strategies, line combinations, and player roles in the playoffs that were never deployed in the regular season Out of the points that I just mentioned, if there is one that is the most frustrating, it has to be #5.

[@user-lg1rd7jb5m]

Coach can only be as good as the front office and the tools to win they provide

[@xtank115]

It doesn't help when your best players give up

[@gareman9417]

LOL....don't get your hopes up....Keef NOW has players with HEART. Thanks for the laugh, I nearly spit out my coffee.

[@user-lg1rd7jb5m]

@@xtank115 you would give up too when you have the leafs plethora of 3rd pairing dmen playing minutes they shouldn't be. Here keefe we will give you more of them. Now go do something in the playoffs. Lol front office never replaced muzzin after his career ending injury and never replaced klingberg after his season ending injury. You can't win with defense like that.

[@goaliecoachmike]

I’m impressed SK wants to jump back in instead of sitting on the couch collecting a paycheck! This will be a very good fit and refreshing for ALL involved.

[@nathanwoodcockn7184]

Im ngl, as a devils fan, I like the move. As long as we get a goalie that is.

[@ShawnBlaque]

This is actually cool, I already liked the Devils but now they can be my official Metro team lol good luck boys

[@missstar219]

last toronto coach the devils hired they won a cup with

[@martinrosario4018]

The great pat burns rip

[@HockeyMC5989]

I think he will be a great coach for the devils. If the Devils can get a goalie this summer (which they have to) I think Keefe’s system will be great with this roster. With all the leafs injuries this season Keefe still had the leafs playing good playoff hockey, the way the leafs are built ended up hurting them, nothing Keefe can do about that

[@88bahl]

"what travis green was able to do with timo meier" green didnt do anything lol . he put him in his native spot and he got healthy and came back to life

[@deanmitchell9881]

You really take a long time to report these stories

[@zigfield723]

Somehow I think the Devils will be better than the Leafs next year and go further in the playoffs

[@ThatsBadTV]

Keefe I think has the potential to be a great coach

[@Trag1cMag1c]

It'll be weird seeing him on the other bench. Very curious to see how he sets up the Devils to play against the Leafs.

[@tehbeernerd]

Given that your backend was made of Morgan Rielly and duct tape, I’m very interested in seeing what Keefe can do with a young but very talented defense. If it’s “mid,” well I’ll take that too.

[@matteodilullo2795]

Paul maurice will be due a nice contract after next year especially if we win the cup

[@KrizenMedina]

I really wish we would have seen more playoff success with Keefe, but aside from a few questionable decisions at times, I thought he was a good coach. His goodbye video was the epitome of class, too. I wish him nothing but the best with the Devils... well, unless 'the best' means they take us out in the playoffs on route to a Cup... ... which I almost expect to happen because it would be the Leafiest outcome. 😂

[@Bestjamesbond]

Four year deals are the same as saying "you'll make it at least 1.5 years before you get fired"

[@coastingalong]

fans of teams in the metro are pumped about this hiring 🤣

[@rafterscott]

The Devs had the 3rd best record in the NHL and a first round win in 2023. They're close, fix the back end a bit (and Luke Hughes has a full year under his belt now) the team should be better than the disappointment that was last year.

[@nolankuffner3573]

Man, people talk about Palat having 4 Finals appearances and two championships. More impressive? His only two seasons in the AHL, he wins a Calder Cup and goes to the finals his second year. WITH A DIFFERENT TEAM. 🤯

[@pucksnpicks]

Let’s go Devils!

[@JohnSmith-eq5el]

can you move the camera back a little?

[@86daytonaz]

Devils making playoffs and getting further than LEAFS next season?….. would be EPIC!!!!!!

[@GannerRhysode]

I’m still surprised Jay Woodcroft hasn’t landed in team yet

[@habfan101]

Second team means first cup right?

[@mithex8414]

Devils ECF appearance incoming

[@tonykung8756]

Keefe inherited an amazingly talented team minus the pressure to succeed...

[@allisone9163]

As a Devils fan, I feel pretty good about this hire. I understand the people pointing to his lack of success in the playoffs, but the Devils have only made the playoffs twice in the last 12 years so for now I'm more concerned with even getting back there and I believe he'll help with that

[@jerrybens8032]

For all you Devils fans . . . . get ready for the Sheldon Keefe player rotation carousel for the next 4 years while he tries to decide who he likes best instead of coaching a guy into being a good player. 9:01 - HUH? McCabe and Brodie made 4 mil & 5 mil respectively last season and the conversation was about the D-men Keefe "had" at his disposal, not D-men Berube "will have" at his disposal. Keefe had at least 3 every year that were earning over 4 mil, but he didn't know how to manage what he had. I totally get your point and I agree our D depth was not the best in the league, but if Keefe knew how to coach a guy into being a good player, we would have had a better D core. His solution was to keep benching them whenever they made a mistake until they were so scared to make a mistake they couldn't play (Lilly being a good example). They're humans, they're going to make mistakes. Keefe's job was to teach them so they learn from they're mistakes and make less of them. Unfortunately, he was not able to do that & I'm very glad he's gone.

[@user-lg1rd7jb5m]

Good for him. It will come back to bite the leafs

[@SRTifiable]

That’s 2022 Stanley Cup Chamption Kurtis MacDermid thankyouverymuch.

[@Johnmk24]

The last thing the young, talented NJD’s players need is a hand holding, friend of a coach. I sincerely doubt any success can come from this.

[@steverobinson8771]

You know the Devils are gonna own the Leafs from this point onwards 🤣🤣🤣

[@rigatonithetiger9986]

As a Devils fan bro please let’s save the chirping for a bit we have no idea what he looks like with the team yet.

[@jackmuscle4898]

Hahahahahaha 💯 % Yall gon beat us in the playoffs watch

[@Gum_Cuzzler]

@@rigatonithetiger9986As a Leafs fan you have no idea how absolutely cursed this franchise is. Enjoy knocking us out of the playoffs and winning a cup within the next decade lol

[@OWlsfordshire]

​@@Gum_Cuzzler It's not a curse, it's the weird structure of the team. You don't need a president or to create some weird giant corporation and media. Too many voices crowding the team out and hands in the pot.

[@Nathanielhiggerson66]

@@OWlsfordshireexactly. not to mention the salary structure of their players