What We Learned: Why the Toronto Maple Leafs extended Sheldon Keefe

The Toronto Maple Leafs' decision to re-sign head coach Sheldon Keefe through the end of the 2025-26 season is at once totally understandable and the kind of decision that makes everyone who ever made fun of them for being a first-round bounce-out very happy.

The positives are obvious: The Leafs have had a lot of regular season success under Keefe. They've comfortably been a top-five team in the league over that period by points percentage, despite the fact that half their division is in the top-six (what that says about the bottom half of the division is up to you to decide). The players are very obviously in his corner. And frankly, there just aren't a lot of better candidates out there right now.

I'm not trying to tell you Leafs general manager Brad Treliving has the best track record of