Report: Maple Leafs grant Islanders permission to speak with Brendan Shanahan

The Toronto Maple Leafs have reportedly granted the New York Islanders permission to speak with President of Hockey Operations Brendan Shanahan.

This news comes after an initial report from The Athletic’s Chris Johnston said that the board of directors for Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment would be meeting on Thursday to discuss the future of the organization. Johnston reported that the Islanders had requested permission to speak with Shanahan. According to Sportsnet, the wish has been granted.

The Islanders are looking to fill a hole in their front office after parting ways with Lou Lamoriello following the end of the season. Lamoriello was previously general manager of the Maple Leafs from 2015 until 2018, when the Leafs moved on from him in favour of Kyle Dubas. He signed a contract to be the Islanders’ President of Hockey Operations not long after, firing then-head coach Doug Weight and general manager Garth Snow before naming himself general manager.

Shanahan has been at the helm of the Maple Leafs in the president of hockey operations role since 2014, and since then, the Leafs have made the playoffs nine straight seasons in a row. Much credit can be given to Shanahan for kickstarting a proper rebuild and bringing an exciting team back to Toronto, but with only two playoffs series wins in that time, his job status is up in the air as his contract is set to expire in the coming weeks.

The Islanders missed the playoffs in 2024-25 and finished 23rd in the league with a record of 35-35-12, but found a stroke of luck in the draft lottery, making a significant jump to select first overall. It’s a decent situation for any new executive to be walking into, and will make any job with that organization more appealing than it might have been had they been selecting tenth overall. The Islanders are also reported to be speaking to names including Marc Bergevin and Mathieu Darche for their general manager role.

More clarity on the future of Shanahan in Toronto and the future of the Maple Leafs’ front office will be made available in the coming days.

READ NEXT: After 11 years without meaningful success, it’s time for Brendan Shanahan to take the fall for the Maple Leafs