Sheldon Keefe, Toronto Maple Leafs practice
Sheldon Keefe, Toronto Maple Leafs practice
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After Tuesday’s practice, Sheldon Keefe discussed Easton Cowan returning to junior, the Knies – Minten – Jarnkrok line, and his first training camp working with GM Brad Treliving.

Practice Lines – Oct. 10

This was your first training camp with Brad Treliving. How would you describe the impact he’s made when working with him?

Keefe: It’s been good. Like anything else I’ve done with him throughout the offseason, it’s felt very natural. It hasn’t changed my routine or how I have approached things. We have communicated a lot, which I have enjoyed. I think we are aligned in terms of our expectations for the individuals, the team collectively, and how the team has come together.

There are a lot of unknowns when someone new comes in, but in terms of how it’s impacted me and my day-to-day, it has been very natural. I am grateful for that.

Easton Cowan is returning to London after making it to the final day of training camp. What does that mean for the future of the player and the impact he could make on the organization?

Keefe: Cowan is actually a little bit further ahead of where Minten was at this time last year, which is a credit to the player, the work he put in through the summer, and his character and demeanor coming in.

Sometimes it’s not just whether you have the ability to compete and hold your own, but it is also about whether you have the maturity and the mental makeup. Can you withstand doing it every day over the course of three weeks? He has been tremendous.

He is another guy we are really excited about. We are excited now to give him a chance to go back to London and continue to grow as a player, taking the things that he has learned here not just on the ice but being around the NHL players for as long as he was. There are lots of lessons to be learned about how professional they are, how they take care of themselves, and how it really is a full-time deal. It is not just when you come through the doors. Those are lessons that are very valuable for a young player.

Do you have the belief that the team will be harder to play against with the additions it has made up front?

Keefe: We like to think that over the last few years, we have become that in lots of different ways. There are different ways to go about it.

The addition of Ryan Reaves — he does his job as well or better than anybody has done it for a long time now. That element brings a lot to our group.

There is more to it than just that. Each of the other guys who have come in here, when you look at what they bring, it is not just the physicality piece. I think it has more to do with the mindset and the attitude that they bring. No matter what is happening in the game, they are going to be comfortable in those situations.

That is really what you can’t have enough of. Those are hard to come by, those types of people and that type of attitude or demeanor, and we have brought in a bunch of them. I think it brings an exciting element to the group.

What stood out about Noah Gregor’s game that allowed him to earn a spot?

Keefe: Pace was the big one. He has come in and fit in really well both on that line and within the room. His personality and such have really fit in well. When he gets on the ice, he uses his pace and skill set. We think he has more to offer in terms of how he plays with the puck and some things he can do offensively.

First and foremost, we think he is going to be a good fit to start with Kampf and Reaves. They have gotten time together, and I have liked what I have seen from that line.

It is a good fit for us. He is excited to be here. With it being official here, it allows him to get comfortable now.

With your elite players at the top of the lineup, what do you see in them that makes you believe they can take the next step?

Keefe: There has been some maturity in there for sure as they have gained more and more experience but also more and more disappointments and failures at different times. We obviously found a way to win a playoff round last year. I think you grow a lot inside of that. As we have talked about, you grow a lot, and then the next time comes around, and before you know it, you are out again.

Our guys are very motivated and very focused. I think we were one of the younger teams in the league when I started here. Now, we have matured both in our top players getting older and in the support around them. We look at the group with some young blood coming back in, and I think it is an exciting mix.

They have lots of support, but there is no question those guys are drivers. They are very focused. I believe they have a really good understanding of what is required. What is required is really to focus on each day and each rep, recognizing how hard it is and knowing you can’t take your foot off the gas for any moment. That really starts for us tomorrow.

How closely were you watching the waiver wire, and how big of a sense of relief is it that Martin Jones remains with the organization?

Keefe: We were pretty excited when it happened. It is a valuable asset to have the goaltending depth and confidence. It is as experienced a goalie as you are going to find that is going to come along the waiver wire there.

He has had a tremendous preseason with us. He is another guy who has fit in really well with his personality, how he has worked with Curtis Sanford, and how he has interacted with Sammy and Joe Woll despite his circumstances. We are excited to continue to have him.

I haven’t had a chance to talk to him, but I know based on the feedback we have gotten from when Tre spoke to him, he is happy, too. He wanted to be in Toronto. He wanted a chance to get settled. He knew coming here, with the AHL and NHL teams in the same city, would be a good fit for him and his family.

I think it is really good to increase the depth there. It was a big question mark, of course, especially with the type of preseason that he had. It is a good bounce for us for once.

What is Bobby McMann’s status?

Keefe: He is going to be on waivers here shortly, but Bobby is another guy who has worked his way through to getting healthy. He wasn’t quite healthy enough to get into preseason for us, but he is another guy we hope can get up to speed and will factor in here for sure.

What do you like about starting Fraser Minten with Matthew Knies and Calle Jarnkrok?

Keefe: With Knies and Minten, they have played well together. There is some natural chemistry, it seems, with those guys. It is not just their age or the youth factor. It is their [respective] games.

They are both really hard on the puck. They have good speed. They are longer. They can get their sticks on pucks. With the size that they have, both are smart and responsible on both sides of the puck.

Jarnkrok is a guy who can play anywhere in our lineup. To have two younger guys for him to work with will help them a lot.

I just like the mix of the group. It is a good way for us to start.

With all of the emphasis on this team’s performance in the post-season, is it important to make sure the message gets across not to look too far ahead?

Keefe: We talk about it with reminders here and there. I think there is a maturity in our group that they do have that perspective. It is something you can talk about as a coach, but you do need the experience as a coach for them to either receive the message or know it themselves.

We do make sure we keep it top of mind. Take each day and each rep as it comes. It is all cliche and all of that, but it is what it is. If you keep thinking too far ahead or take your eye off of what is really important right now, you lose your way.

That really is it. It is a long journey of 82 games. You have to earn your way into the playoffs and take it from there. You have to be as prepared as possible, and the only way to do that is to take advantage of every moment.

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