Sheldon Keefe finding the 'right balance' with Devils but still motivated as ever

NEWARK, N.J.

Tom Fitzgerald gave the New Jersey Devils roster a makeover this summer.

In came Jacob Markstrom to fill the hole in net.

Signings Brenden Dillon and Brett Pesce solidified the blue line, as did a nifty trade pickup of Johnathan Kovacevic , the teams surprise leader in plus-minus.

Newcomers Stefan Noesen and Paul Cotter have combined for 20 goals.

Advertisement But none of those additions are what the Devils GM calls his best move.

That would be hiring Sheldon Keefe, who took over as Devils coach two weeks after getting fired by the Toronto Maple Leafs , New Jerseys opponent Tuesday.

One of the hardest things in this league as a young coach is you want to last, Keefe, 44, says.

Youre concerned about if it doesnt work out (in a place), whats going to happen next.

...

To have another opportunity right away really reinforced the things I believe in and that people notice.

For Keefe, everything with the Devils is fresh, which has allowed him to learn about himself and make an impact on an organization he had no previous connection with.

This isnt like Toronto, where he coached the AHL team before getting hired for the NHL job.

Keefe had never met Fitzgerald before the coaching search, and he didnt know any of his assistant coaches prior to taking over.

He had experience coaching only one player on the roster, Noesen, and that was for only one game with the Maple Leafs in 2021.

And, of course, the nature of the market is drastically different from his previous stop.

I like to think that Ive grown a lot coming from Toronto in managing the expectations from the outside and keeping the focus on whats happening inside but also acknowledging the expectations that are there, he says.

Youve got to ultimately represent the fans and the ownership group.

Im motivated by that every day, but I cant get distracted by it because it takes what it takes on the inside.

Thats easier to do with the Devils than with the Maple Leafs.

When youre coaching in a place like Toronto, it is sort of another whole part of the job to manage and answer the questions and be the voice of the team, he says.

If you dont handle that well, then you can kind of set things off.

And if you handle it well, then you can keep things under control.

Thats a whole thing I dont really have to think about as much anymore.

Advertisement The microscope is also part of what made coaching the Maple Leafs so exciting, Keefe says.

The team is so important to so many people.

Hes still honored that he had the chance to coach Toronto, even if he says it was maybe not the most ideal situation to have it be your first NHL job.

For Keefe, who has a 230-107-42 career NHL record (18-10-2 with the Devils) and has never missed the playoffs, part of the appeal of the New Jersey job was its proximity to Ontario.

His wife and two kids, aged 12 and 14, still live in Toronto.

They had been in the city for nine years with Keefe coaching the Leafs and AHL Marlies, and the kids are entrenched in their school and sports communities.

Keefe has flown back to Toronto on a few of the Devils off days this season for family and has run into surprised Leafs fans in the process.

Theyre a little confused in the airports, Keefe says.

But when Im at arenas and out in the community, still to this day and a lot through the summer people would stop and come up and thank you for your time and wish you well.

Being away from his family has made it hard for Keefe to get fully settled outside of hockey.

But at the rink, he started to feel more at home after the Devils early-season trip to Prague, where they beat the Sabres for their first two wins of the Keefe era.

By the time the team returned from Europe, Keefe felt more comfortable in his interpersonal relationships with the players.

Fitzgerald has reason to be pleased with Keefe.

Coming off a disappointing 2023-24 in which New Jersey missed the playoffs, it has the fourth-best point percentage in the Eastern Conference this season.

The Devils struggled defensively last season, allowing the fifth-most goals of any team.

Cleaning that up was an early focus for Keefe, who stresses puck pressure, defending the net and situational awareness.

Both Fitzgerald and players noticed how detailed he was at the start of training camp, and the results have followed.

The Devils have allowed the sixth-fewest goals per game in the league, which is more than enough to succeed with the Jack Hughes -led core of potent scorers.

Advertisement Were not giving up what we used to give up, Fitzgerald says.

Keefe has had to implement new systems with plenty of new players, and Fitzgerald has been struck by how much they respect him.

Kovacevic, for one, has blossomed in New Jersey.

Hes playing nearly 20 minutes a night after averaging 16:51 the three previous seasons and feels Keefe appreciates the simplicity in his game.

Kovacevic has also gotten tangible results from Keefes in-game advice.

During an October game against the Anaheim Ducks , the coach told his defensemen to look for players open in the slot.

The next period, Kovacevic found Noesen there for a goal.

Kovacevic also listened when Keefe told defensemen to join the rush against Nashville , which led to him assisting an Eric Haula tip-in in front of the net.

Let it fly, Stef.

pic.twitter.com/WwDIjlPFTE New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) October 28, 2024 Its pretty easy to buy in when what hes telling you is working, Kovacevic says.

Fitzgerald has also been impressed by how dialed in Keefe is with the organizations future.

During an early-season western road trip, the GM found him streaming an AHL Utica game before the Devils played.

Keefe views it as his job to be in tune with every part of the organization.

He cares, Fitzgerald says.

Its not just about what Ive got going on up here.

He plans on being here long term.

Keefe has high standards for himself and any team hes coaching, and he notes those feelings have been in line with external expectations.

Hes always been with talented teams.

The Maple Leafs were already a perennial playoff club when he took over, and New Jersey has one of the best young cores in the league and won a playoff series in 2023.

New Jersey has not sustained success recently, though, making the playoffs only twice the past 12 seasons.

Advertisement Keefe sees similarities between his starts in Toronto and New Jersey in the fact that both teams have talent and expectations to match.

Hes also felt a wave of enthusiasm with the Devils, which he says has been good for him.

You leave one job where youve been fired because youve failed in essence, he says.

And then you get brought into another place where theres such optimism and belief, everywhere from ownership to management to players.

Keefe believes the Devils have the pieces needed to succeed year in and year out.

He wants to be viewed as one of the leagues elite teams: one that other clubs know is dangerous even during tough stretches.

I dont think were there yet, but thats where we aspire to get to: to give ourselves every opportunity to compete for the Cup year over year, he says.

Adds captain Nico Hischier : He wants to bring this team to a new level.

Even that might not bring him the same recognizability he still has in Toronto.

Keefe feels like no one knows who he is away from the rink in New Jersey, though he gets occasional comments and well wishes.

He can tell people care especially, he jokes, when the Devils beat the Rangers .

Im not completely incognito, he says.

But I would say its the right balance.

(Photo: Eric Bolte / USA Today).

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