Brendan Shanahan to remain as Maple Leafs president as organization touts roster changes

Brendan Shanahan will remain president of the Toronto Maple Leafs as he took full accountability for the team’s lack of playoff success and vowed to keep an open mind about roster changes this summer, including breaking up the “Core Four.”

New Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) CEO Keith Pelley confirmed the news in a press conference with Shanahan and general manager Brad Treliving on Friday.

Shanahan has been the president since April 2014 and has one year remaining on his contract.

The Maple Leafs have made the playoffs for eight consecutive seasons but have only one series win in that time. That includes a seven-game loss to the Boston Bruins in the first round this year.

All three men spoke of wanting to bring a Stanley Cup to Toronto, particularly Pelley, who said his goal as CEO of MLSE is to ensure the organization has the resources to do just that.

“Good is simply not good enough,” Pelley said. “We need to win. Nothing else matters. No doubt you’ve heard that before. But I am 1,000 per cent committed to it.”

The three executives gathered together for the first time and one day after Sheldon Keefe was fired as head coach. Treliving confirmed a search for Keefe’s replacement is underway, noting the organization won’t rush to make a decision despite having a good list of candidates available.

Craig Berube, Todd McLellan and Gerard Gallant, among other coaches, have been linked to the Maple Leafs.

Potential changes to the ‘Core 4’

Pelley, Shanahan, and Treliving spoke at length about the team’s top-heavy structure. While they refused to name any players, they acknowledged that change is required.

Under Shanahan, the Leafs have qualified for the playoffs in the last eight seasons. Their only series win came in 2023 over the Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games. They were then eliminated by the Florida Panthers in five games.

“Our playoff results have not been good enough. That’s on me,” Shanahan said. “The results that we’ve had in the playoffs, our players know, I know, we know, they’re unacceptable. They’re unacceptable to our fans and those who support the Maple Leafs.”

In years past, Shanahan has preached patience with the team’s “Core Four,” which consists of Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Mitch Marner, and captain John Tavares. Both Matthews and Nylander were signed to contract extensions this season, while Marner and Tavares each have one year remaining (10.9 million and $11 million) on their respective deals, with full no-move clauses.

“We do an analysis at the end of every season. We look forward, and we look for ways to be better. In the past, I believe there were times when you talked about patience,” Shanahan said. “I still believe there are times when patience is the suitable call; however, when you see patterns persist and the results don’t change, you have to adjust the way you think about things.

“We will look at everything this summer, and we will consider everything this summer. All with the intention of the one thing we’re here for, which is to make the Maple Leafs better and to win,” Shanahan said.

Matthews and Nylander both missed playoff games with various ailments, while Marner and Tavares were criticized by fans for their lack of production against Boston. Defenceman Morgan Rielly, under contract for seven more seasons at an annual cap hit of $7.5 million and the longest-tenured Leaf, was also scrutinized for his play.

Toronto has several players hitting free agency this summer, including Tyler Bertuzzi, Max Domi, Ilya Samsonov, TJ Brodie, Joel Edmundson, Ilya Lyubushkin and Mark Giordano.

Injury updates on Woll, McMann

Treliving shared injury updates on a number of players, including goalie Joseph Woll, who was announced as a scratch ahead of Game 7 against Boston.

Woll suffered a back sprain at the end of Game 6 after helping the Leafs stave off elimination, stopping 49 of 51 shots in both playoff starts.

Treliving added that Bobby McMann suffered an MCL sprain, and Connor Dewar is undergoing shoulder surgery on Friday.

Matthews was also dealing with a virus and told reporters Monday he “took a weird hit” during Game 4. Treliving clarified it was “head injury issues” that forced the Leafs superstar to miss the following two games in the series.

With files from Sportsnet