The circumstances around Sheldon Keefe's status with the Leafs may be changing

A few weeks ago, it looked to be a foregone conclusion that Sheldon Keefe was on his way out as head coach of the Leafs. Things took a major turn, however, when it was announced that Kyle Dubas would not be returning as GM of the team. Now that the Leafs appear to have their new GM in Brad Treliving lined up, Sheldon Keefe may be safe... for now.

According to Elliotte Friedman on today's 32 Thoughts podcast, one question that has come up a lot during the Leafs' GM search was about Sheldon Keefe. From what Friedman has heard, the candidates that have been asked about Keefe have said "he's fine", "his record is good" or "I'd like to get to know him before I make a decision." To Friedman, those answers make him believe that there is a good chance that Keefe will at least start the season as the Leafs' bench boss. What this tells us is that any change behind the bench this season will be because of poor performance. If Keefe can continue to produce during the regular season, as he has during his tenure in Toronto, his job should be safe for the year.

To me, this feels a bit like a situation where Treliving could be looking at the laundry list of items that require his attention over the next month, leading up to free agency, and deciding "I don't have time to deal with a coaching change right now". The Leafs have a combined 21 pending UFAs and RFAs between the Leafs and Marlies organizations over the next month. Sounds like a pretty hectic month ahead.

If what Friedman is saying has even a hint of truth to it, Keefe can begin to sleep a little better at night knowing that he will likely have a job come training camp.