NHL Rumors: Sheldon Keefe Linked To 2 Metropolitan Teams

With Sheldon Keefe now looking for a new gig, two potential destinations have already been floated for the former Toronto Maple Leafs head coach, two rivals in the Metropolitan Division.

We begin with the newest rumor, as hockey insider Pierre LeBrun has suggested that Keefe will land on the coaching shopping list of the New Jersey Devils.

I do believe the New Jersey Devils will have interest in interviewing Sheldon Keefe as part of their coaching search
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) May 9, 2024

Recent reports out of Jersey had ex-St. Louis Blues coach Craig Berube and former Edmonton Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft as Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald's two finalists. But hold the phone on that. Not only could Keefe himself be added to the mix, but the recent buzz about another Keefe destination could have an impact in New Jersey.

Word has been circulating for days now that former Leafs GM Kyle Dubas would be very interested in bringing his old buddy Keefe in to Pittsburgh. Dubas has already hired Keefe three previous times as a head coach (in the OHL, AHL and NHL), why not make it a fourth?

The fly in that ointment, of course, is that the Penguins currently have a head coach in Mike Sullivan. But part of these rumors is that as Fitzgerald's former coach in Boston, Sullivan could be of interest to the Devils' GM if Dubas wants to let him go. Could we see a coach "traded" in this scenario? Perhaps Dubas sends Sullivan to New Jersey for a draft pick, which frees him up to hire Keefe.

Some interesting wheels are turning in New Jersey and Pittsburgh, and we'll be following these situations closely.

In the meantime, while all of those machinations turn behind the scenes, Keefe, with a two-year extension from Toronto about to kick in next season, is currently living his best life, as we see from his farewell video to Leafs fans: