Former Maple Leafs President Brendan Shanahan Swings and Misses on New Job Opportunity

Prior to being relieved of his duties as President and Alternate Governor in Toronto, reports surfaced that the New York Islanders were given permission to speak to the 56-year-old executive.

Unfortunately for Shanahan, and despite what Pierre LeBrun described as 'good conversations', the Islanders elected to pass on Shanahan and hire former Tampa Bay Lightning AGM Mathieu Darche.

In hiring Darche, the Islanders not only made him their new General Manager, but also named him Executive Vice President of Hockey - or a very similar role that Shanahan would have been given, allowing him full autonomy of decisions over the Islanders' roster.

Although Shanahan left the Maple Leafs as an organization that is much better run than when he first arrived, having just two series wins in 11 years at the helm surely played a role in the Islanders moving in a different direction.

As did the Islanders hiring of Darche as GM before committing to bringing in Shanahan, failing to give him an opportunity to pick 'his guy' or have a say in the hiring process.

As the off-season slowly gets underway, Shanahan will likely have plenty of opportunities available to him, but he can take him time in deciding what and where is the right fit. Unfortunately, though, that opportunity won't be in New York.