Sun poll results: Shanahan, Keefe must go, time to break up the Maple Leafs' core four
In three on-line polls conducted since the Leafs were eliminated from the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs by the Boston Bruins, on Saturday night, it’s clear.
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When you want change, Toronto Sun readers, you don’t mess around.
Certainly not when it comes to your beloved Maple Leafs.
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Sun poll results: Shanahan, Keefe must go, time to break up the Maple Leafs' core four Back to video
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In three on-line polls conducted since the Leafs were eliminated from the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs by the Boston Bruins, on Saturday night, it’s clear.
Brendan Shanahan can’t continue as Leafs president, not with the team having one won playoff round since Shanahan became the boss in April 2014.
Sheldon Keefe, having failed yet again to guide the Leafs to a true measure of post-season success, must be fired.
And there’s no doubt that there should be changes to the core four, meaning one or more of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and captain John Tavares must go.
Of the 4,183 people who cast votes on the future of Shanahan when this was written, 85.8% (3,591) said his 10-year reign should be over, while just 14.15% (592) thought he should continue on.
We’ll learn what comes next for Shanahan on Friday morning, when new MLSE CEO and president Keith Pelley, Shanahan and general manager Brad Treliving are scheduled for media availability at the Ford Performance Centre in Etobicoke.
Promoted in November 2019 to the Leafs job from his Marlies gig, Keefe has had enough time to get it right, readers figured.
Of the 10,666 people who cast votes as to whether Keefe should be fired, 66.8% (7,127) said he should be given a pink slip, while 33.18% (3,539) voted that he should at least be able to get a start on his two-year extension.
We should know in the next day or two what decision Treliving has made on Keefe’s future. If Treliving fires Keefe, speculation has Craig Berube among the front-runners for the job.
And 80.1% (835) of the 1,042 people who voted on the core four issue were in favour of changes. Just 19.9% (207) thought the core should be kept intact despite numerous post-season failings.
The challenge for Treliving there, of course, is that each of Matthews, Marner, Nylander and Tavares hold a no-move clause. The best bet could be Marner, as Matthews (four years) and Nylander (eight years) will have contract extensions kick in starting in 2024-25. But Marner holds the cards and may decide that he wants to stay for at least one more year.
At any rate, be prepared for what will be another busy, news-making Leafs off-season.
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