Is Sheldon Keefe the front runner for the New Jersey Devils Head Coaching Position
TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger was on SportsCenter with Jay Onrait. When asked about Sheldon Keefe and the New Jersey Devils, Dreger said that the Devils are waiting for him if he wants to train immediately.
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Jay Onrait: “Let’s talk about Sheldon Keefe. You know, FanDuel seems to think the Devils and Tom Fitzgerald have an inside track. Would you agree with that?”
Darren Dreger: ” Well, the inside track might be a little loud, but there were a few conversations between Tom Fitzgerald and Sheldon Keefe. And I think, again, this is Fitzgerald acting on his own initiative, and I wouldn’t call Sheldon the front runner yet, but he has a strong chance.
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And I think Fitzy just wants to make sure that when he makes the final call on who is the next coach of the Devils. You are dealing with a flat market so you know all the possible components at play. Sheldon Keefe is interesting though, because in his video message to Leafs Nations and National Hockey League fans, he basically said look, I had a great time in Toronto. I didn’t finish the job. Now, I need to recharge my battery and spend time with my family.
Well, you don’t recharge your batteries as an NHL head coach in a few days. So, the New Jersey Devils are waiting for him to make sure he’s ready to jump back onto the NHL bench. If so, yes, you are a strong contender. There is no doubt about that. He is a great coach.”
New Jersey Devils Not Closed on Head Coach Hiring
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet on Sirius XM NHL Network Radio with Scott Laughlin and Gord Stellick was asked why the Devils are taking so long to hire a head coach.
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Elliotte Friedman: “New Jersey was an interesting experience. I think they had a really long conversation with Berube. I think he met the owner and for a while, I thought it would be him.
And I think they took a long look at Jay Woodcroft and I think they took a long look at Sheldon Keefe. And then I think I heard that a second interview was scheduled for Todd McLellan.
Not sure where that stops. So I thought they were getting close. A few people have told me yet. But, there have been very serious people there for discussions. And I thought they were close a few times. I have to wait and see how this plays out.”
