NHL Rumors: Elliotte Friedman believes Sheldon Keefe could make major decision on Maple Leafs future

After the Toronto Maple Leafs' playoff exit in the first round, speculation about the future of head coach Sheldon Keefe is gaining traction.

Veteran hockey insider Elliotte Friedman shared his thoughts regarding Keefe's tenure with the Leafs on the "32 THOUGHTS" podcast.

"Honestly, I think Keefe is a better coach than the market gives him credit for," Friedman said.

He highlighted Keefe's resilience in navigating a challenging season plagued by injuries and setbacks.

"If Keefe ends up going somewhere else and proving his critics in Toronto wrong, I think he did a good job in very difficult circumstances this year with all the injuries and everything," Friedman said.

Indeed, the Maple Leafs' postseason woes cast a shadow over Keefe's leadership. Following another first-round exit from the playoffs, questions abound regarding the team's direction under his guidance.

"In three or four years, we could all come back and look at this and say Elliotte was right, or Elliotte was wrong. And if I'm wrong, I sure am gonna hear it. But it would not surprise me at the least if he goes somewhere else and does really well," Friedman added.

"But look, I do think the Maple Leafs are gonna look at what else is out there. You'll remember going back last summer, before they committed to keep and extended him. They definitely discussed alternatives. Like if we don't bring them back, or we don't extend them."

Sheldon Keefe criticizes team's performance

The Toronto Maple Leafs canceled out a 3-1 series deficit but fell in Game 7 to the Boston Bruins 2-1 in overtime.

Toronto failed to net more than one goal for the third time in the series.

Head coach Sheldon Keefe openly criticized his team's performance.

"The Bruins protect their net better than any team in the NHL and they were content to do that. It’s very evident. Teams play the Leafs, they set up the game for the Leafs to beat themselves," Keefe said.

This defeat marked the Leafs' seventh first-round exit in the last eight postseason appearances.