Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Brendan Shanahan Through 2024-25

As it turns out, Mitch Marner is not the most high profile person in need of a new contract from the Toronto Maple Leafs this summer.

That title belongs to Brendan Shanahan. In a relatively surprising move this afternoon, the Maple Leafs announced the signing of their President and Alternate Governor to a six-year extension that would keep him in the organization through 2024-25.

Financial details of the move have yet to be disclosed.

This is an incredibly vital move for the Leafs to make, given the current state of the team.

The likes of Marner and Auston Matthews may receive the bulk of the credit for turning this franchise from a punchline into a contender, but it was Shanahan who installed the infrastructure which allowed for that shift in the first place. He’s the mastermind behind the Leafs’ success. And, after today, he now has six more years with which to see it through.

Taking control at what was likely the darkest moment of a pitch black era in 2014, Shanahan has spent the past half-decade executing a top-to-bottom rebuild that has meticulously altered the Maple Leafs organization from the inside out. This is not merely confined to the on-ice product. Shanahan has been instrumental in exacting even the most minute changes, from instituting a new logo, to hiring a cutting-edge sports science division, to even repairing frayed relationships between the franchise and its legends of decades past.

Shanahan hired Mike Babcock. He brought Kyle Dubas into the fold, and before him, Lou Lamoriello. Say what you will about the track records of those three in either their past or current roles, but each was a stabilizing addition to a team that lacked any.

Perhaps the most important aspect of “The Shanaplan”, however, is its patience.

Shanahan does not panic. It’s simply not in his nature. The 50-year-old is an executive who generally shies away from reactionary moves – instead taking the requisite time needed to account for all prevalent factors before ultimately reaching a verdict.

Many forget, but Shanahan actually re-signed then-head coach, Randy Carlyle, in his first year on the job. Was Carlyle long for this team even with his newfound security? Probably not. But Shanahan opted to spend a year seemingly observing the specific ways in which Carlyle coached the Maple Leafs before finding a replacement. Doing so not only gave him a clearer picture of what Carlyle did wrong, but it built an understanding of exactly what the Maple Leafs needed to move forward.

Now wading into a crucial offseason, Shanahan’s approach will be needed more than ever. During a period of immense change, the Maple Leafs are likely to look markedly different in a matter of months.

What will stay the same, however, is their steady leader.

Thanks for reading!