The Toronto Maple Leafs had an embarrassing 6–1 loss to the Florida Panthers in Game 7. For the ninth straight year in a row, the Maple Leafs have been eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs. With both Mitch Marner and John Tavares needing new contracts, it seems that the core will finally change.
However, for all the changes to General Managers, coaches, roster, and all the heartbreaking playoff failures over the last decade, President Brendan Shanahan has overseen it all. And it appears that his time has finally run out.
Off to Long Island?
Chris Johntson reported earlier today that the New York Islanders have asked Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Partnership (MLSE) for permission to speak with Brendan Shanahan. Eliotte Friedman later confirmed that MLSE has granted the permission:
Brendan Shanahan’s contract expires in June after being the President of the Maple Leafs for the last 11 years. If MLSE plans on retaining Shanahan, then it wouldn’t make sense to allow him to speak with other teams. It appears that MLSE and Shanahan will be parting ways in the coming weeks.
Shanahan’s tenure
Shanahan does deserve credit for turning the Maple Leafs franchise around after the Brian Burke and Dave Nonis era. Those Maple Leafs teams were not competitive and very far from making the playoffs (except the 2013 shortened season), let alone a Stanley Cup appearance.
After the defeat to the Florida Panthers in the 2022–23 season, it would have been the perfect time to move on from William Nylander or Mitch Marner, whose trade protection did not kick in. However, after Kyle Dubas implied that there would be changes to the core, Shanahan did not renew Dubas’ contract and allegedly called the Maple Leafs’ superstars and told them they were not going to be moved.
Shanahan will be remembered for not moving off of a Core Four piece when clearly the four superstars did not have it in them to get more than two playoff series wins in nine years.
Nonetheless, it appears that change is afoot in the Maple Leafs’ organization. The Maple Leafs are gearing up for a big offseason, with likely replacing Mitch Marner. Hopefully this offseason will bring the Maple Leafs closer to a Stanley Cup appearance, their first since 1967.
I’m sorry but Shanny should have been dismissed years ago.
Catastrophic decision to hire Dubas and then double down with Keefe. This was exasperated by buying into Dubas’ philosophy on how to build a ballerina, small skilful team and rip out any element of grit – (see Kadri Hyman Marchment Brown).
I think at some point Dubas realized that he had to move one or two of the Core Four, and Shanahan didn’t want to do that. Regardless, two of the four should have been moved out after the Blue Jackets series, and definitely after the Montreal series.
The fact that it took until 2023 to toy with the idea is shameful. Even more shameful is the mess we’re in now. So very frustrating.