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New York Islanders should hire Sheldon Keefe as their next head coach

By Dave Stevenson

TORONTO, ON - MAY 15: Head coach Sheldon Keefe of the Toronto Marlies gives instructions to his players against the Syracuse Crunch during game 6 action in the Division Final of the Calder Cup Playoffs on May 15, 2017 at Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Marlies beat the Crunch 2-1 to tie the series 3-3. (Photo by Graig Abel/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - MAY 15: Head coach Sheldon Keefe of the Toronto Marlies gives instructions to his players against the Syracuse Crunch during game 6 action in the Division Final of the Calder Cup Playoffs on May 15, 2017 at Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Marlies beat the Crunch 2-1 to tie the series 3-3. (Photo by Graig Abel/Getty Images) /
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The New York Islanders would be very wise if they pursued Sheldon Keefe in their head coach search

Thanks to the arrival of new general manager Lou Lamoriello, the New York Islanders are undergoing some long overdue changes. For the first time in nearly 30 years, the Isles finally have some stability and accountability in their organization. Doug Weight lost the locker room last season, so he was removed from his position as head coach. With the only head coach vacancy in the NHL, the Islanders could go a variety of directions.

Should they go with a veteran coach? Perhaps, especially if Barry Trotz isn’t going to return to the Washington Capitals. But Lamoriello marches to the beat of his own drummer. So maybe the road less traveled would work better for them.

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Their best option is someone who Lamoriello is familiar with, but has no NHL head coaching experience. That would be Sheldon Keefe, head coach of the 2018 Calder Cup Champion Toronto Marlies.

Getting him away from Toronto wouldn’t be cheap. AHL coach salaries aren’t made public, but it wouldn’t be surprising if Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (who also own the Leafs) are making Keefe extremely well compensated. Especially since general manager Kyle Dubas is a huge fan of his.

However, if the Islanders want to create a culture change, they shouldn’t spare any expense. Keefe would be a huge change from their previous regime. He’s a smart, young man who often thinks outside the box. Keefe embraces analytics. Though Lamoriello isn’t a huge fan of analytics, he knows what he’s capable of. During his tenure with the Marlies, Keefe has done a great job of putting his players in situations where their skill sets are best utilized.

The Islanders need to play fast in today’s NHL. Even the Washington Capitals, who won the Stanley Cup thanks to clogging up the neutral zone, played fast with the puck. That’s one thing the Marlies have done extremely well under Keefe.

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New York has to nail this coaching hire. Their future depends on it. The Islanders are going to do their due diligence and ask around. Todd Reirden and Darryl Sutter are probably going to get looked at seriously. But in the end, the Islanders best option is to be bold and go with Sheldon Keefe.

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