Sheldon Keefe Appreciation Thread

[stickty111]

Lets just take time to appreciate we have a top notch coach in the AHL and the NHL.
Not sure why Keefe gets criticism from some posters. He is an excellent coach who seems to get the most out of his players. He just recently reached 100 wins in the AHL, getting there in the 3rd fewest games.(156)
Yes he has had some good rosters, but that shouldnt really discredit his abilities though. He has developed players while also having the team remain competitive.
He is a possession based coach who expects his team to have a strong work ethic. I like how he isnt afraid to blame himself when something isnt going well.
Like today in his post game interview, he said "I thought our special teams was probably the area we were lacking a little bit, and to me, thats on the coaching staff. So I have to be a lot more prepared there. I have to be better and I will be"
Quotes from Travis Dermott and Trevor Moore on Keefe's leadership
It’s definitely no accident that he has 100 wins,” said Moore. “He’s a really good coach. He sees the game very well and communicates well with players, we’re lucky to have him.”

“I think he’s got a great mind for the game,” added Dermott. “He comes to the rink every day ready to work us and ready to work on his part, things that he has to help us with, like video and making sure we’re working on what we need to work on.”

Click to read more...

 

[Maplebeasts]

He's done fantastically with the Marlies and I think he has a bright NHL future as a coach. Babcock is great, but it's good knowing we have quality insurance should he leave.

 

[Leafs at Knight]

He's done fantastically with the Marlies and I think he has a bright NHL future as a coach. Babcock is great, but it's good knowing we have quality insurance should he leave.

Keefe will be with another organization by the time Babcock leaves. Also I know he wants to win, but the AHL is also a development league and I wish he would play some of our young guns more and less of scrubs like Smith.

 

[stickty111]

Keefe will be with another organization by the time Babcock leaves. Also I know he wants to win, but the AHL is also a development league and I wish he would play some of our young guns more and less of scrubs like Smith.

Just because he plays a couple veterans doesnt mean he doesnt play enough young guys.

Rychel Aaltonen Kapanen
Timashov Mueller Moore
Greening Gauthier Soshnikov
Marchment Brooks Smith

Marincin Liljegren
Dermott LoVerde
Valiev Holl

So going line by line
Kinda Prospect-Prospect-Prospect
Prospect-Veteran-Prospect
Veteran-Prospect-Prospect
Kinda prospect-Prospect-Veteran

The only prospect scratches were Johnsson. He is a regular anyways on the team. Bracco is the other one. Right now he is a depth guy. Also Neilsen but he is still a regular.
Can I ask what "young guys" he should be playing more instead of Smith who is actually a good player in this league. I see a lineup basically full of prospects.

Veteran-Prospect
Prospect-Veteran
Prospect-Kinda Prospect

 

[rent free]

how come the leafs haven't had many players graduate from the marlies despite the great marlie teams over the years?

 

[Brobust]

how come the leafs haven't had many players graduate from the marlies despite the great marlie teams over the years?

In the past, it was vet heavy so a good Marlies team didn't mean anything.

Now, there's too much talent in the NHL so the AHL guys are being kept down.

 

[francis246]

Keefe will be with another organization by the time Babcock leaves. Also I know he wants to win, but the AHL is also a development league and I wish he would play some of our young guns more and less of scrubs like Smith.

In the AHL you have to play/dress a certain number of pro vets every night. So they rotate them in the line up

 

[rent free]

In the past, it was vet heavy so a good Marlies team didn't mean anything.

Now, there's too much talent in the NHL so the AHL guys are being kept down.

ok thanks. i was kind of wondering that for some time now

 

[Donkey Puck]

Keefe is ok. He has had mediocre results in the playoffs so far. He is not well respected amongst his peers for some reason. He doesn't get allstar games and no coach of the year considerations. He is kinda tied to Dubas and Dubas is tied to Toronto so he might be a Marlies coach for a while. The shit he did in junior he is never going to shake with the hockey establishment but the fans don't care
He is in a good spot though and I am sure he realizes it. He is not a narcissist with a huge ego so he probably wont fit into the NHL coaching club

 

[Menzinger]

The Marlies aren't about winning, it's about developing players and in that regard I love what Keefe has been doing.

He comes across as a super smart guy in interviews too, I'm curious to see how long he'll want to stay as a AHL coach

 

[stickty111]

Keefe is ok. He has had mediocre results in the playoffs so far. He is not well respected amongst his peers for some reason. He doesn't get allstar games and no coach of the year considerations. He is kinda tied to Dubas and Dubas is tied to Toronto so he might be a Marlies coach for a while. The **** he did in junior he is never going to shake with the hockey establishment but the fans don't care
He is in a good spot though and I am sure he realizes it. He is not a narcissist with a huge ego so he probably wont fit into the NHL coaching club

The fact that some people like you still want to bring up his past is embarrassing. Cant we just move on from that? Keefe has already put all that behind him.

 

[meefer]

My first time trying to quote someone, but Donkey Punch, please tell us you’re just here for the fun of it! “Not well respected”, a source please. Doesn’t get ‘games’, nor do most coaches, are they fodder too? ‘Tied to Dubass’, the horror! That he’s not a narcissist and you’re trying to twist this into a bad thing? What could possibly make you happy?


(Quoting didn’t work, sorry)

 

[stickty111]

Remember when people were complaining about Keefe that his teams havent been good defensively, and we need to find a coach that can teach our prospects defence.

Well the Marlies have allowed 25 goals in 11 games. They have played 4 less games then the Leafs, allowing 30 less goals.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

i'm a big fan of how the Marlies have been playing and I think he's a good coach

 

[stickty111]

i'm a big fan of how the Marlies have been playing and I think he's a good coach

Keefe is a solid coach who has the team playing structure hockey.

Babcock is still way better than Keefe despite what has been happening on the Leafs recently, however if there is one thing Keefe has over Babcock, its that Keefe is willing to stack his lines if they need a goal late in the game, which Babcock doesnt.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Keefe is a solid coach who has the team playing structure hockey.

Babcock is still way better than Keefe despite what has been happening on the Leafs recently, however if there is one thing Keefe has over Babcock, its that Keefe is willing to stack his lines if they need a goal late in the game, which Babcock doesnt.

I think as frustrating as all the losing lately has been, Babcock deserves a bit more respect than to say an AHL coach is better than him. Keefe is good but Babcock is widely regarded as a top 3 coach in the NHL for a reason. I would like to see Keefe coach the Leafs one day but I can't see him staying in Babcock's shadow for the next 5 years

 

[lifelonghockeyfan]

how come the leafs haven't had many players graduate from the marlies despite the great marlie teams over the years?

There is AHL good and NHL good. Let's not confuse the two. Who do you suggest that would are the Marlies that would difference makers to the Leafs now?

 

[saltming]

My first time trying to quote someone, but Donkey Punch, please tell us you’re just here for the fun of it! “Not well respected”, a source please. Doesn’t get ‘games’, nor do most coaches, are they fodder too? ‘Tied to Dubass’, the horror! That he’s not a narcissist and you’re trying to twist this into a bad thing? What could possibly make you happy?


(Quoting didn’t work, sorry)

Are you using the reply button or the +quote button?
Use the reply button if not. Also you can @ them like this
@meefer
And it will send a notification to the poster.

Keefe is doing a great job. Balancing development with a winning environment! Tough to juggle but he's up to the task.

 

[The Podium]

how come the leafs haven't had many players graduate from the marlies despite the great marlie teams over the years?

Kadri
Nylander
Brown
Bozak
Hyman
Gardiner
Carrick
Leivo

All saw significant time with the Marlies

And currently have
Gauthier
Dermott
Kapanen

On track too in the near future. Not sure what your post is referring too.

 

[rent free]

could be the next guy to jump from the ahl to the nhl

 

[meefer]

Are you using the reply button or the +quote button?
Use the reply button if not. Also you can @ them like this
@meefer
And it will send a notification to the poster.

Keefe is doing a great job. Balancing development with a winning environment! Tough to juggle but he's up to the task.

Thank you, Salt, I managed to figure it out. Cheers.

 

[saltming]

Thank you, Salt, I managed to figure it out. Cheers.

 

[TOGuy14]

how come the leafs haven't had many players graduate from the marlies despite the great marlie teams over the years?

Burke actively tried to make the Marlies a good team by signing AHL superstars like Keith Aucoin to near NHL money.

He was operating under the premise that he wanted the young guys to learn how to win and that would aid their development.

It was probably a sound strategy if not for the fact all the young guys were watching other guys win while they rode the pine. You want your young players to be the reason you win, not just an accessory...

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Like I said before, he's able to succeed with good players, but he's was not getting nearly as much as he should have out of the guys lower down in the lineup. At least that was what it was like in earlier years. All of the Soo teams he had were amongst the best in the league but he couldn't get them past the conference SF despite that. The legit NHL prospects did well, but the other guys lower down in the lineup who were capable of more never got there under him.

And as soon as teams stacked up against those top guys, his teams started to suck. He can win when his high end is going, but he can't win with his depth. The Marlies depth he's had over the past years should have taken us a lot further than he's been getting us, especially in the playoffs, but that didn't happen.

 

[stickty111]

Like I said before, he's able to succeed with good players, but he's was not getting nearly as much as he should have out of the guys lower down in the lineup. At least that was what it was like in earlier years. All of the Soo teams he had were amongst the best in the league but he couldn't get them past the conference SF despite that. The legit NHL prospects did well, but the other guys lower down in the lineup who were capable of more never got there under him.

And as soon as teams stacked up against those top guys, his teams started to suck. He can win when his high end is going, but he can't win with his depth. The Marlies depth he's had over the past years should have taken us a lot further than he's been getting us, especially in the playoffs, but that didn't happen.

This whole he should have gotten further argument is completely dumb.
The Marlies team his first year finished 54-16-6
What exactly were you expecting? 76-0? They also made the Conference Semifinals. A good team beat a good team. It happens. That was a very impressive year for Keefe and the team.

The 2nd year they had a bad start. That wasnt on Keefe. They just didnt have a good enough roster(now if Keefe was competent enough Clune could have become an AHL star) and things would look better. Did you look at the centre depth on the team? Brutal. It shows something when you have a winger in Greening as the top centre on the team. Keefe than coached them out of the basement and lead them to the 2nd round where they took a superior team in the Crunch to 7 games. Not sure what exactly your exoecting from the guy. He has won and developef prospects(including ones that werent that good to begin with. Trevor Moore is a good example)
What you said he should have gotten more out of lower lineup guys is false. How about Trevor Moore? Does he not count? Kapanen was lower as well in the lineup and then he got going. Does he not count? Timashov? Does he not count? Gauthier plays lower lineup mins and looks good. Does he not count? Dermott started lower pairing and turned into a #1 d man for them. Does he not count? Neilsen showed good improvement after bottom pairing mins. Does he not count? Soshnikov? Does he not count? I could go on and on.
Yeah its upsetting he couldnt turn Clune into an offensive powerhouse.

I think Keefe has done a tremendous job so far. He has gotten a lot out of his players, while also having the team be competitive. He has also had a lot more success than expected and hasnt underachieved.
Winning? Check
Development? Check
Gets the most out of every player including lower lineup guys? Check