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Eastern Conference Team Reportedly Asks Maple Leafs' Permission to Interview Brendan Shanahan

Originally posted on House of Hockey | By Daniel Lucente | Last updated May 21, 2025 2:35 PM ET

It appears that Maple Leafs' Brendan Shanahan is in high demand, as the New York Islanders have approached Toronto and asked permission to speak with him.

The New York Islanders front office overhaul is ongoing, and Brendan Shanahan has emerged as a potential candidate to emerge as the team's new President of Hockey Operations, or quite possibly even general manager.

Shanahan's Toronto Maple Leafs future is uncertain because his contract ends June 30. He has been a team president since 2014 but has never held a GM title.

Nevertheless, his tenure as Toronto hockey operations' chief made him desirable to the Islanders, who want to replace veteran executive Lou Lamoriello.

A few of the candidates have already interviewed for the GM job, including Marc Bergevin, Jarmo Kekäläinen, and Mathieu Darche.

Marc Bergevin has already received a second interview for the Isles GM job

Frank Seravalli of 'Daily Faceoff' indicates that Bergevin has received a second interview, and the competition is narrowed down to him and Darche, sources suggest. But perhaps Shanahan can now be thrown in the mix, too.

Shanahan, though, is another class of candidate: a star name with nearly a decade of senior-level experience in one of the sport's biggest markets.

With all those years of playoff disappointments in Toronto, a change of environment may be appealing to him. And with the Islanders having the first overall pick in this year's draft, the timing is intriguing.

Worth noting, NHL insider Pierre LeBrun confirmed that the Islanders have officially sought permission from the Maple Leafs to speak with Shanahan. There's no confirmation at the moment if MLSE has given that permission.

If Toronto is considering leadership shakeups, Shanahan's exit would be inevitable. The Islanders, on the other hand, could pick up a renowned architect to construct their franchise from bottom to top.

This article first appeared on House of Hockey and was syndicated with permission.

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