HIGHLIGHTS
- Multiple sources are linking Brendan Shanahan to the New Jersey Devils’ president of hockey operations role following Tom Fitzgerald’s firing on Monday
- Shanahan was New Jersey’s second-overall pick in 1987 and played his first four NHL seasons with the Devils, making him a natural fit for a return
- Full breakdown of the speculation, what Shanahan brings, and what the Devils need this offseason below
Brendan Shanahan has been out of a job for nearly a year. The New Jersey Devils may be about to change that.
Less than three hours after the Devils fired Tom Fitzgerald on Monday, ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski was already hearing from multiple sources linking Shanahan to the president of hockey operations role. Arthur Staple of The Athletic went further, calling New Jersey the “best fit” for Shanahan’s return.
Expect to hear a lot of Brendan Shanahan to the Devils speculation, in a president role. Because I'm already hearing it from multiple sources and Fitz has been out for like three hours.
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) April 6, 2026
Shanahan was the Devils’ second-overall pick in 1987, spent his first four seasons in New Jersey, and came back for his final NHL season in 2008-09. Few outside candidates would walk in with that kind of history with the franchise.
He’s been available since May 2025, when Toronto let him go after 11 years as team president. The Leafs made nine playoff appearances under Shanahan but never got past the second round, blowing a 2-1 series lead to Florida in Game 7 last spring. MLSE decided it was time to move on.
Since leaving, he has been doing advisory work for the NHL and consulting with Hockey Canada. He’s 57 and hasn’t hidden his desire to run another organization. New Jersey has $12 million in cap space, a core of Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes, and Timo Meier, and a clear need for someone to set the standard at the top.
“The guy that’s out there, that’s the best fit, is Brendan Shanahan” @StapeNHL on who the #NJDevils could look to bring in as Tom Fitzgerald’s replacement
— Daily Faceoff (@DailyFaceoff) April 6, 2026
The plan would be a split structure, with Shanahan coming in as president above a separate GM hire. That is essentially what he had in Toronto, where he sat above Kyle Dubas and then Brad Treliving. Whether it works better in New Jersey is the real question.
Nothing is confirmed yet, and Nashville has also been mentioned given Shanahan’s four years as a player there. But the early reporting has New Jersey as the frontrunner. The organization that drafted him may be the one to bring him back.
