Where will Brendan Shanahan surface next? That’s the question everyone is wondering after the former Toronto Maple Leafs president was not renewed.
Despite what looked like an opening with the New York Islanders, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported that despite discussions with the team, there wasn’t a fit.
The news came one day after the Islanders hired Tampa Bay Lightning assistant GM Mathieu Darche run their hockey operations as VP and GM. The Islanders also made a point in their announcement to make it clear that Darche will “handle all aspects of the team’s hockey operations.”
So what happens with Shanahan now?
There’s a good chance the former Leafs boss takes some time to relax. I had a chance to speak with him earlier in the season, and he made a point of mentioning that he isn’t the type to sit still for very long. So that got me thinking about some other openings around the NHL that could make sense.
Some possibilities:
1. The Buffalo Sabres
Shanahan left the Maple Leafs as the club currently sits with the longest active playoff streak in the NHL at nine straight seasons. On the other side of that spectrum, the Sabres hold the NHL’s longest active playoff drought at 14 seasons. Could they use a new voice as GM Kevyn Adams has struggled to push things forward? There is no buffer between the ownership of the Pegula family and Adams on the organizational chart. That market may not want to spend the money on a team president, but it should look at someone with a track record of inheriting a franchise in disarray and becoming respectable, like he did with the Leafs.
2. The Nashville Predators
The Predators were perhaps the most disappointing team of the 2024-25 season. Despite an all-star cast of free agent signings, the team missed the playoffs after struggling all season long. Barry Trotz’ shift to GM from head coach has been a bit rocky. David Poile remains there as a senior advisor. But could Shanahan help there?
Outside of those two positions, it’s hard to see anywhere where Shanahan’s hiring as team president makes sense. That could change in a year, or Shanahan may decide to do something else in hockey. Before joining the Leafs, Shanahan was the head of the NHL’s Department of Player Safety.
Time will tell.
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