The case for Brendan Shanahan as NY Islanders President of Hockey Operations

The Toronto Maple Leafs are moving on from Brendan Shanahan. Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) made it official on Thursday, a day after granting permission for the Hockey Hall of Famer to speak to the New York Islanders. Now he could be the Isles' top front office target.

Let’s get this out of the way: yes, the Leafs under Shanahan never won a Stanley Cup. Yes, they were a guarantee for playoff frustration, but if you're only looking at that when evaluating him as a potential hire for the Islanders’ President of Hockey Operations, you’re missing the bigger picture.

It's easy to forget a time before the "core four" and consecutive 100-point seasons, but Shanahan modernized a broken franchise. Say what you want about the Leafs' playoff record, but before Shanahan arrived in 2014, that organization was a dumpster fire. It had no identity, no development pipeline, and no modern hockey infrastructure. He hired experienced executives (Lou Lamoriello, ironically), embraced analytics, empowered younger front office minds like Kyle Dubas, and turned Toronto into a perennial playoff team.

Shanahan didn’t play it safe in Toronto. He cleaned the house. In 2015, when Babcock was the biggest name on the coaching market, he went after Mike Babcock. He stood by Dubas when many wanted a change, then pivoted quickly when it didn’t work. He didn't double or triple down expecting the same results, even if that is how things ended up more often than not.

The Leafs’ roster under Shanahan was built around elite talent, and while it never reached the top, it was consistently one of the most dangerous teams in the league. The Islanders aren’t the Leafs, but they do have pieces: Ilya Sorokin, Noah Dobson, Mathew Barzal, and a still-productive core. Plus, top prospect Calum Ritchie, hotshot scorer Cole Eiserman, and oh, yes, the top overall pick in the draft.

Shanahan loves and knows the area well, having played with the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers. He's also a polished executive with league-wide connections, who will raise the profile of the Islanders. At 56 years old, you’ve got a guy who could finally bridge the gap between the Lamoriello Islander identity and the modern NHL.

Brendan Shanahan is more than a headline. He’s a builder, a brand, and someone who’s been through the highs and lows of constructing a modern hockey organization. No, it wouldn’t be a perfect hire, but let’s face it, perfect doesn’t exist.