Sheldon Keefe reacts to the potential threat of being fired in Toronto

Last summer, Brad Treliving spoke highly of Sheldon Keefe, emphasizing that he believed that Keefe was a good coach. He later provided Keefe with a contract extension, so he wouldn't be heading into the 2023-24 season under the added weight of playing for a contract.

Now, heading into this summer, it's possible that a new coach is a part of the summer of change in Toronto. While Treliving has yet to act on this front, Sheldon Keefe wanted to make something very clear to everyone in his season-ending press conference. He takes full responsibility for the Leafs bowing out in Round 1 again.

Keefe addressed a number of topics during his availability, such as how he saw the game-ending play unfolding in overtime in Game 7, how he feels about Mitch Marner's game in the postseason and about how small the margins for error are in the playoffs. Perhaps the most intriguing portion of his chat with the media, though, was how he chose to approach his summer, knowing that the hammer may be coming down sooner than later. In the end, Keefe believes that he and the Leafs really are progressing and that his belief in himself and in the team have never been higher.

Keefe also mentioned that his job is to continue to look for ways to improve and search for solutions. He seems committed to doing that right now, but with management currently going through the motions, set to speak on Thursday, there's no guarantees that Sheldon will have very long to continue on with his work in his office at Ford Performance Centre.