Brendan Shanahan Linked to ‘Best Fit’ Eastern Conference Team For Next Gig

Brendan Shanahan has been biding his time since being let go by the Toronto Maple Leafs from his job as team president one year ago. He joined the NHL’s hockey operations department in an advisory capacity and has served as a Hockey Canada consultant.

But he's still anxious to get back to leading a team's hockey operations, and according to Arthur Staple of The Athletic, the New Jersey Devils are the "best fit" if they look to bring in a new boss man.

"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, if they choose to move in that direction. @JLazzy23 | @ColbyCohen36

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Tom Fitzgerald is currently the president of hockey operations and general manager, but his job is in jeopardy with an extremely disappointing season that will see the Devils miss the playoffs for the 11th time in 14 seasons since going to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2012.

"If they decide to move off of Tom Fitzgerald, which has been whispered about all season long, then to me," said Staples, "there's a guy sitting right there who can come in, he's a Devils legend, who has run teams and run front offices. It's Brendan Shanahan.

Devils need to act fast if they're moving on from Fitzgerald, and Shanahan would be a great fit, says analyst

"Again, this is not running Fitzy down. Fitzy is one of my favourite people in the sport, and he's earned his stripes. (But) How can you wait if you're (Devils owner) Harrison Blitzer or Bob Myers (president of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment)?

"When you see this environment now, the movement, the behind-the-scenes train is already rolling far down the track. And I think the examples of Toronto and Nashville, they've made their decisions to move on from their GM. And (the Devils) feel like, 'Ok, now we'll get a search firm in there and we'll compile a list'… It's like, No, no, no. You needed to do that three weeks ago," insisted Staples. "You needed to have your people lined up, because who knows who's going to be in high demand once the season ends."

"To me, to get yourself in order, the guy that's out there, that's the best fit, is Brendan Shanahan."

Indeed, there are an abundance of names that the Predators and Maple Leafs have already researched and reached out to, and the Devils might be late to the party if they choose to move on from Fitzgerald, be it in the hockey ops role and/or the GM post. Shanahan has even been mentioned in some quarters as a Predators option.

Shanny was the Devils' first-round pick, second overall, in the 1987 NHL Draft. He went on to play his first four years in New Jersey, and then returned in his 21st and final season in the NHL.

New Jersey is in 13th in the Eastern Conference at the moment, well back of a playoff spot, and they have five games to play out the string, and decide what course they want to take for the future of the franchise.