There’s been no formal offer submitted by MLSE, and no formal interest from Brendan Shanahan, but there is “some level of interest” in Brendan Shanahan for the role of President of the Toronto Maple Leafs (or some variation thereof) on the part of MLSE Pres Time Leiweke, according to Bob McKenzie on TSN 1050.
McKenzie "I think Shanahan is intrigued by the Leafs. He has deep roots in NY. NHL job works well for him"
— Hope_Smoke (@Hope_Smoke) April 9, 2014
The Leafs wouldn’t be the first NHL team to usher in a high-profile former player into a “President” role in their hockey operations, but this is unique in the sense that Shanahan never played for the Leafs (but he is from Mimico – insert joke here). Trevor Linden just took over that role with Vancouver a year after Joe Sakic was introduced in a similar role (Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations) in Colorado. Shanahan has zero prior experience in the front office of an NHL team. He has served as the NHL’s Vice President of Hockey and Business Development and, of course, currently serves as the NHL’s chief player disciplinarian.
Theoretically, Dave Nonis has the mulligan of bringing in his own coach, but the wild card is Tim Leiweke and how big he wants to go with the off-season changes. Bringing in Shanahan would at the very least put Nonis’ future up in the air, given Shanahan will have to decide who he wants to surround himself with. In Colorado’s case, technically-GM Greg Sherman has been marginalized to the point where he’s basically some sort of advisor to Sakic and head coach/Vice President of Hockey Ops Patrick Roy. McKenzie doesn’t believe Nonis’ role would be as peripheral, but the fact that Leiweke is considering the move suggests Nonis isn’t exactly secure in his current post, or at least in his current level of influence in Leafs hockey ops.
Interesting days ahead.
