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The Shanaplan Is Part of the Maple Leafs DNA

Originally posted on Trade Talk Sports | By Old Prof | Last updated May 27, 2025 11:53 AM ET

Since Brendan Shanahan arrived in 2014, much has been made of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ so-called “Shanaplan”—a long-term strategy built around skill, speed, and internal development. At the time, the organization was in disarray. The front office lacked structure, the on-ice product was wildly inconsistent, and the long-term outlook was bleak.

Over time, that changed. Shanahan brought in Lou Lamoriello and later elevated Kyle Dubas. The organization prioritized analytics, strengthened player development, and leaned into a draft-and-develop model. With Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and Morgan Rielly at the core, the Maple Leafs built a team meant to play fast, dominate possession, and win by scoring more than their opponents.

That was the vision. And for a while, the team stuck to it.

When Did Things Start to Shift for the Maple Leafs?

The shift didn’t come all at once. There wasn’t a moment when the Shanaplan was officially scrapped. Instead, we’ve seen gradual layering—first under Dubas, and now more openly under Brad Treliving.

Dubas began supplementing the team’s skill base with grittier players: Nick Foligno, Ryan O’Reilly, Jake McCabe. Those moves didn’t abandon the core idea; they added to it. Over the past two seasons, Treliving followed a similar path, bringing in players like Tyler Bertuzzi, Max Domi, and Simon Benoit. The Maple Leafs still lead with their stars, but now there’s more edge around the margins.

Rather than a sharp break from the past, this feels more like an evolution driven by experience. The plan wasn’t tossed aside—it was revised.

Is the Shanaplan Still With the Maple Leafs?

In some ways, yes. The core players are still here, at least for now. The team is still built around high-end skill and speed. The emphasis on internal development hasn’t gone away—Matthew Knies, for instance, has become a key piece of the team’s puzzle moving forward.

But the hard edges are more pronounced. There’s more attention to defensive play. The playoff lessons have left a mark.

What Maple Leafs fans see now is the product of nearly a decade of trial and adjustment. The Shanaplan, as it was originally conceived, might no longer fully define the Maple Leafs, but it’s still in the team’s DNA.

This article first appeared on Trade Talk Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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