Rumour Roundup: Would Shanahan fit with Islanders?

Brendan Shanahan’s time with the Toronto Maple Leafs has come to an end, but will the executive be out of a job long?

After 11 seasons with the team, it was announced that Shanahan’s contract would not be renewed, but the former Leafs president might already have another option available to him.

It was reported that the New York Islanders were granted permission from the Leafs to speak with Shanahan about an opening in their front office.

As Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on Friday’s edition of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, this was not the first time the Islanders made an attempt to speak with Shanahan.

“I don’t believe that the Islanders asked this week. I think they asked earlier in their search, and they didn’t get permission until this week for obvious reasons,” Friedman explained. “New York is far down in its GM search. The interesting thing to me is that Shanahan is a little bit different than what they were looking for….. Shanahan would be different in the sense that he’s not a GM. He can definitely be a president of hockey operations, but he’s not a GM, and he would have been unique in what they did.”

For Shanahan, there is also familiarity with Islanders’ ownership especially CEO John Collins. Both worked at the NHL’s executive offices and Shanahan is familiar with the New York market after playing for the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils.

The Islanders are rebuilding their front office this summer after parting ways with former president and general manager Lou Lamoriello, who previously worked under Shanahan in Toronto.

Islanders narrowing down their GM search

The Islanders definitely want to get their open general manager position filled as the team looks to get ready for the draft and free agency.

According to Friedman, the team has looked at many options including Ken Holland who was near the top of their list before deciding to join the Los Angeles Kings.

“They really wanted Jeff Gordon, too and it’s clear to me that the Montreal Canadiens are really preparing to take care of Jeff Gordon because they have repeatedly not allowed him to talk to anyone,” Friedman explained. “They’ve interviewed Mark Bergevin, they’ve interviewed Jarmo Kekalainen. Those are people who would have been at the top of their organizational chart and were GM types.”

While Friedman believes the Islanders were not looking to hire a first-time general manager, he believes the possibility of adding Shanahan as president could change that.

“I think (Mathieu) Darche has a real shot there,” Friedman said. “I don’t believe the Islanders are against the idea of hiring a first-time GM like Darche, and he’s got a real legit shot at it.”

Darche joined the Tampa Bay in 2019 as an assistant general manager and helped the team win back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021.

Head coach openings still needing to be filled

The Chicago Blackhawks ended their search for a head coach after hiring Jeff Blashill on Thursday, leaving three openings across the league.

The Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins and Seattle Kraken still have vacancies but it appears those positions could be filled soon.

“I heard Pittsburgh and Boston are starting to call their list, just shorten it,” Friedman said. “Seattle, I believe, is doing some in-person interviews. There is some crossover here. Mitch Love, I think Seattle and Pittsburgh (are interested). Marco Sturm, I think Seattle and Boston are in the mix. Jay Leach, Boston. Joe Sacco, as far as I know, hasn’t been told he’s out of it in Boston. I think Jay Woodcroft has been interviewed in Boston. Dave Quinn, I think in Seattle. I’ve wondered about possibly Pittsburgh, too, but I’m not sure.”

“It sounds to me like all four, all three of the remaining teams, Pittsburgh, Boston and Seattle are getting down to their final stages.”