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Former Toronto Maple Leafs head coach and current New Jersey Devils leader Sheldon Keefe has been dubbed the favorite to win the Jack Adams award for the 2024-25 season on FanDuel Sportsbook.
The newly appointed head coach of the Devils is the leading candidate to win the award given to the NHL’s best regular-season coach. Keefe’s odds are listed at +700, ahead of Travis Green of the Ottawa Senators at +800, and Andrew Brunette of the Nashville Predators at +900.
Stanley Cup finalist Kris Knoblauch of the Edmonton Oilers boasts odds of +1,100 and current Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube, who replaced Keefe, is right behind him at +1200.
Why Did the Maple Leafs Fire Sheldon Keefe?
The Maple Leafs fired head coach Keefe on May 9 after five seasons with the team. It’s not that the writing was on the wall, however, as Keefe had signed a two-year extension with Toronto in August 2023.
General Manager Brad Treliving announced the news in a press release, discussing the Leafs’ decision to move on from Keefe after the Boston Bruins finished Toronto’s postseason run early.
“Today’s decision was difficult. Sheldon is an excellent coach and a great man; however, we determined a new voice is needed to help the team push through to reach our ultimate goal. We thank Sheldon for his hard work and dedication to the organization over the last nine years and wish him and his family all the very best.”
Keefe left Toronto with a 212-97-40 record in 349 regular-season games. The coach, however, struggled in the postseason leading the Leafs to only one playoff series during his time at the helm.
The former Leafs coach shared a few parting words with Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star on May 28.
“It was [a] tremendous honour to coach the Maple Leafs,” Keefe said. “There’s a lot that goes into that. I’ve had a number of well-established coaches in the league reach out to say that I should be happy now that I get to coach in the real NHL. Toronto is quite unique … it’s not like the rest of the league.”
Devils’ Aim at Bounceback Led by Sheldon Keefe
The Devils hired Sheldon Keefe following a disappointing 2023-2024 season coming off a postseason appearance the year before.
New Jersey finished the 2024 regular season with a 38-39-5 record and missed the playoffs. A year earlier, the Devils clinched a place in the postseason. They finished with a much better 52-22-8 record and second in the Metropolitan Division.
Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald moved quickly to secure Keefe once his firing was announced. He believes in Keefe’s ability to lead the franchise to a Stanley Cup.
“Sheldon checks a lot of boxes that I was looking for,” Fitzgerald said on May 28. “From the get-go, it was evident that Sheldon would be a great partner for me. Someone I can partner up with. Someone who can challenge me and vice versa.”
The head coach discussed his new chapter while speaking to reporters in the same introductory press conference.
“The expectations are high, and I’m drawn to that,” Keefe said. “I’ve never coached any team at any level that didn’t expect to win every time they put their equipment on. That’s the case here. That excites me from Day 1. So, here we are.”
The Devils are listed at +1100 on Fanduel Sportsbook. They trail the two most recent Stanley Cup finalists (Oilers +850, Florida Panthers +950) and the Dallas Stars (+1000). The Colorado Avalanche, also from the Western Conference, boast the same +1100 odds as New Jersey.
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