Report: Islanders granted permission to talk to Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan

A potential new destination for one of the NHL’s biggest franchises’ head honcho.

On Wednesday, Sportsnet reported that the New York Islanders have been granted permission by Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment to speak with Toronto Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan in regard to a front-office position.

Earlier in the day, Chris Johnston of The Athletic reported that the Islanders were looking to speak with the three-time Stanley Cup champion.

All this comes just days after the Maple Leafs were eliminated by the Florida Panthers in Game 7 of the Atlantic Division Final, marking the 12th consecutive trip to the postseason where Toronto failed to advance beyond the second round.

The Islanders are currently looking for a new general manager. The team is looking to rebuild its front office after parting ways with former president and general manager Lou Lamoriello. Lamoriello had worked under Shanahan as GM of the Leafs from 2015 to 2018. Shanahan’s name has been thrown around as a candidate for the job, along with the likes of former Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin.

In his article, Johnston mentioned that MLSE is set to hold a board meeting on Thursday, right as the sale of Bell’s 37.5 percent stake in the company to Rogers Communications Inc. is nearly finalized. Per Johnston, if the team were to move on from Shanahan, which may or may not be decided on Thursday, the Leafs “will likely move forward without a team president for the foreseeable future.”

Shanahan was initially hired by MLSE in April 2014 and has done his due diligence in turning around the franchise. He put together a group that has led the Leafs to qualify for the postseason in each of the last nine years. However, during Shanahan’s tenure, Toronto has only won two playoff series’. His current contract is set to expire on June 30.