Sheldon Keefe reportedly has verbal agreement to coach new NHL team
NHL insider Kevin Weekes revealed today that the New Jersey Devils are close to announcing their next head coach, and it sounds like it might be Sheldon Keefe.
The Devils are one of many teams around the NHL currently looking for a new head coach. Top free agent Craig Berube is already off the board, as the Toronto Maple Leafs hired him just days after firing previous head coach Sheldon Keefe. Now it appears as though Keefe himself may already be moving on to his new team.
Devils reporter Alex Chauvancy has indicated that he believes the Devils are close to signing the former Leafs coach. There have been rumors that the Devils were talking with Keefe for several days now.
NHL rumors contributor Jim Biringer has also mentioned that the Devils have been talking to Keefe. In fact, he went so far as to say that the team has a verbal agreement in place already, but the paperwork has not been finalized.
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Keefe is a proven coach in the regular season, regularly making the playoffs with ease during his tenure with the Toronto Maple Leafs. However, he won just one playoff series as well, regularly going out in the first round. Will that trend continue if he takes over the Devils? Only time will tell. The team should be good enough to make the playoffs next season assuming they are relatively healthy.
| POLL | ||
Do you think the New Jersey Devils will announce Sheldon Keefe as their next head coach? | ||
| Yes | 502 | 88.5 % |
| No | 65 | 11.5 % |
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