Maple Leafs May Lose Key Member of Front Office to New York Islanders
Photo credit: Dan Hamilton - Imagn Images
Amid the shuffle that is set to take place in Toronto this off-season, one key member of the Leafs' front office is set to be poached by the New York Islanders.
After their second round exit at the hands of the Florida Panthers, the Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to undergo a slew of changes from top to bottom this off-season and that includes potentially some key members within the front office.
While specific core players are certainly under heavy scrutiny, front office members are not safe either and that includes the President and Alternate Governor of the organization, Brendan Shanahan. The Toronto native is as responsible for the team's downfall as much as any player that has laced up since his arrival in 2014.
According to reports from Chris Johnston and Pierre LeBrun, the New York Islanders have sought permission from the Maple Leafs to speak with Shanahan, whose contract is set to expire in June.
It's a rather serious situation at the moment, considering that the Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment board of directors are meeting on Thursday to discuss the future standing of the club -- and likely the future of Shanahan in Toronto.
As Johnston reports, it's very likely that they part ways and the Leafs actually move forward without a team president for the time being.
"It's not yet clear if Thursday's board meeting will result in a final decision on Shanahan's future. In the event the organization decides to move on from him, the team will likely move forward without a team president for the foreseeable future, according to the sources."
What that means for Shanahan is that he will get to restart his executive career elsewhere and by the sounds of things it could be in Long Island as they are in dire need of a top executive with Lou Lamoriello let go earlier this spring.
"Further complicating the path forward with Shanahan is the fact that the New York Islanders have expressed interest in speaking to him about their top hockey job, according to league sources."
***UPDATE at 14:45 on May 21st -- Maple Leafs approve Islanders' request to speak with Shanahan. It would appear as though the end of an era in Toronto is near.***
There is some connection between both clubs, primarily John Tavares leaving in free agency to join Toronto in 2018, as well as Lamoriello leaving Toronto for Long Island in the same year.
Changes are afoot in Toronto and it sounds like we are going to see several new faces and perhaps even some vacancies that could stretch into the 2025-26 season.
| POLL | ||
MAI 21 | 7991 ANSWERS Maple Leafs May Lose Key Member of Front Office to New York Islanders Should the Maple Leafs consider bringing back Brendan Shanahan? | ||
| Yes | 695 | 8.7 % |
| No | 7296 | 91.3 % |
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