Brendan Shanahan's possible next NHL job shows nobody has learned from the Leafs' collapse

The Toronto Maple Leafs got lucky when they landed the No. 1 overall pick back in 2016, but beyond that, they did a solid job of building a team that could be a Stanley Cup Playoffs threat every year, with their Core Four becoming the face of the organization for years now.

However, they struggled to go further, and with the team falling apart in 2025/26, it's easy to see why the organization wanted to move on from Brendan Shanahan, who was a key piece in building this roster.

Given the Maple Leafs struggles, he wasn't signed quickly by a rival team, but now, suggestions that the New Jersey Devils could hire someone above GM Tom Fitzgerald in the front office have led to speculation it could mean Shanahan's return.

Obviously, this isn't anywhere near being official, and it may end up being that Shanahan doesn't ever get interviewed for another front office role again, but if it were to happen, it would show that teams have simply learned nothing from the way that he and the Maple Leafs went about building their roster.

Ultimately, this is someone that made some big mistakes in roster construction, and while the blame for their collapse as a team following the departure of Mitch Marner can't all be laid at Shanahan's feet, he clearly isn't up to the role anymore, and if the Devils considered him, it would be a major mistake.

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