Sheldon Keefe’s Changes Since Kyle Dubas Left the Maple Leafs

One notable change in the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 2023-24 season has been the separation of Head Coach Sheldon Keefe from the team’s former general manager (GM) Kyle Dubas. Many Maple Leafs fans seem to believe that coach Keefe and GM Dubas were close and, because they’ve worked together for so long, were on the same page when it comes to running a team. It’s almost as if the two have shared a brain, particularly in their approach to how hockey is best played. 

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However, watching the team play this season suggests that this assumption might not be accurate. There are indications that Keefe and Dubas might not have always seen eye-to-eye on all aspects of running the team. While they shared key similarities in their thinking about the game, it’s becoming evident that they probably didn’t always align in their decision-making.

Either that or Keefe is evolving and changing as a coach.

Now that Keefe Is Unshackled from Dubas, What Has Changed?

This season, we’ve seen a different Keefe when it comes to running his team. The Maple Leafs’ strategies and operations have changed, and it isn’t out of the realm of possibility that one reason is that Dubas is no longer Keefe’s direct boss.

Unshackled from Dubas, Keefe seems to be steering the Maple Leafs toward a more defense-first strategy. In the past, both Stan and I have observed many of the games the Marlies played under Keefe’s guidance en route to winning the Calder Cup. Those teams had skill; however, they also consistently showed a sound defensive-first approach. 

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There have also been other evident changes in how Keefe has engaged his team as a coach. Three stand out: (1) Keefe’s emphasis on accountability and direct focus discipline; (2) his strategic line deployment and flexibility; and (3) his move to a three-line attack.

First, Keefe’s Emphasis on Accountability and Directness

This season, Keefe has displayed a notable increase in accountability and directness toward his players, both in public and (we hear) behind closed doors. Unlike previous seasons, where issues might have been addressed more passively, Keefe has become more vocal in calling out deficiencies and acting on them. 

These include such things as the team’s defensive lapses and lack of effort. For…