As reality settles in for the Toronto Maple Leafs, the future of Leafs president Brendan Shanahan is looking murkier and murkier.
Shanahan’s contract with Toronto is set to expire at the end of June, and Sportsnet reported the New York Islanders received permission to speak with Shanahan about their front office vacancies.
Barring some last-minute change of approach, it seems almost certain now that Shanahan’s time with the Maple Leafs is nearing an end. While reporting by The Hockey News’ Stefen Rosner indicates that former NHL players and executives Marc Bergevin and Mathieu Darche are the front-runners for the Islanders’ GM job, the possibility of Shanahan joining the Isles as their president is far from a long shot.
Maybe a fresh start somewhere like Long Island will be good for Shanahan. He’s worked in the greater New York City area as a player and an NHL executive. With a driven and determined Islanders ownership group above him, Shanahan could bring the Isles the type of success that’s eluded them for many years now.
While Bergevin was GM of the Montreal Canadiens before, Darche has been a director of hockey operations for the Tampa Bay Lightning since 2019-20 and an assistant GM since 2022-23. If the latter gets the job, having Shanahan in the president role could set up Darche to have the most success, guidance and support in what would be his first GM role. Shanahan already has some experience and lessons learned from when Kyle Dubas was a GM for the first time for the Leafs.
The Islanders’ job is certainly more attractive with having the first-overall pick, which is similar to when the Maple Leafs had pick No. 1 in 2016. If Shanahan joins the team as the president, he can set a clear direction forward with their top selection and get a second shot at perfecting the ‘Shanaplan.’
With a projected $28.3 million in cap space next season and only 14 of 23 roster players under contract, the Islanders can start to build a new core this off-season. A good chunk of that space will likely go to RFA Noah Dobson, but whether it’s in free agency or making a big trade, the team can really start to commit to contending in the playoffs instead of being stuck in the mushy middle.
REPORT: Toronto Maple Leafs Grant New York Islanders Permission To Speak To Team President Brendan ShanahanThe New York Islanders have been given permission to speak with Toronto Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan, per Elliotte Friedman:
It’s also possible that, if Shanahan does leave the Leafs, current assistant GM Brandon Pridham becomes Buds GM, with current GM Brad Treliving getting bumped upstairs into a president of hockey operations role, along the lines of what the Colorado Avalanche, Vegas Golden Knights and Washington Capitals have done in recent years with their GM and assistant GM. But one thing seems clear – the Maple Leafs’ flame-out in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs will significantly impact the entire Leafs organization.
Indeed, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment head honcho Keith Pelley has been on the job overseeing the Leafs for a year now, and the team’s constant failure to get to the Eastern Conference final means the status quo won’t be a viable option.
Now, if Shanahan meets with Pelley in the next handful of days and somehow finalizes an extension, there will be no shortage of critics complaining the Leafs are going to run it back with the same group of hockey minds. It’s hard to argue with those critics. Shanahan has now had three different GMs trying to get the job done – Dubas, Lou Lamoriello and Treliving – and nothing has worked.
While Shanahan’s done many things right – including retiring the numbers of Leafs legends and getting Toronto into the post-season for nine straight years – Shanahan hasn’t been able to succeed in the most important department, and that’s playoff wins. The NHL is a results-oriented business, after all.
We’ll know soon enough whether Shanahan parts ways with Toronto, but there isn’t an indication that a contract extension for him is coming. He gave it his best shot, and he has some things to be proud of in terms of where Toronto was at the beginning of his time running things versus where the Leafs are today.
While there hasn’t been enough success with the Maple Leafs, there’s a lot of experience to learn from and improve on if Shanahan joins the Islanders or another squad. And getting the chance to start fresh with the Islanders in a competitive Metropolitan Division is an exciting opportunity if that’s Shanahan’s next chapter.
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