The first domino in the Toronto Maple Leafs offseason of change has fallen. On Thursday, it was announced that the Maple Leafs will not renew team president and alternate governor Brendan Shanahan’s contract. This move should not be a shock to anyone. However, it does signal that more significant changes are coming. Here’s how Shanahan ended up in this situation and where the Maple Leafs go from here.
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What Brendan Shanahan Did in Toronto
Shanahan was named president and alternate governor of the Maple Leafs in 2014. Once he entered the organization, Shanahan decided a rebuild was needed to bring the Leafs back to the promise land. His “Shanaplan” is responsible for bringing in the “Core 4,” drafting Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander, as well as signing John Tavares in free agency. Alongside other pieces brought in by Shanahan and company, the Maple Leafs were contenders again by 2016, just two years after Shanahan entered the organization.
However, although the Leafs were a great regular-season team, they struggled once the playoffs came around. During his tenure, the Maple Leafs made the playoffs nine times, but were only able to win two playoff series, once in the 2022-23 season against the Lightning, and in 2024-25 against the Senators. Outside of that, it’s been nothing but playoff heartbreak. They failed to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals and lost a total of six Game 7s. Three of those Game 7s came at the hands of the Boston Bruins.
This year’s loss at the hands of the Florida Panthers was the final straw for the Maple Leafs. While Shanahan put together a good roster, it’s not built for a deep playoff run. Thus, ownership felt someone new was needed to steer Toronto in the right direction.
Where Do the Maple Leafs Go From Here
While potential replacements are unknown now, the Leafs are expected to go outside the organization. They need a new vision at the top of the organization, someone who can build a team to not only succeed in the regular season, but also go through the gauntlet of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Regardless of who they bring in, they will decide the future of the “Core 4.” With Marner and Tavares set to hit free agency, they’ll have to decide whether to bring back both, one of them, or neither. It’s a hard first choice in a high-pressure job. It’s a move that will define the early portion of the tenure and set the direction of the Leafs for the next several seasons.
Main Photo Credit: Dan Hamilton – Imagn Images
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