Islanders should add former Maple Leaf President Shanahan to their front desk – Hockey Writer – New York Islanders

New York Islander hired its future general manager (GM) at Mathieu Darche. All signs suggest he is the only hiring at the front desk and that the islanders will not hire the president. After Lou Lamoriello’s all shots in seven seasons, Darche will take over the position in all aspects of the front office.

It made islanders ask for interviews for former Toronto Maple Leaf President Brendan Shanahan, to say the least. They were interested in bringing him to the ship and when they hired Dutch, they pivot.

However, this could also point to them joining Shanahan, which is not the worst idea to consider what he could bring to the islanders.

Shanahan from Toronto can work

There are too many people in Maple Leaf’s ownership group, board of directors and front desk. Browsing everything is a mess, and that’s how Shanahan spends his tenure on the team. Maple leaves run under “Shana-Plan-Plan”, but all the chefs in the kitchen prevented his real influence.

Related: Islander Naming Mathieu Darche GM is a Computational Risk

Islanders have an ownership group that can handle most business aspects of the franchise. Often, ownership groups are divided into two categories: those who do it and care about whether the team succeeds or fails, while those are the opposite and rarely participate. The Islanders are hands-on, but they let the hockey operation start working and don’t intervene. That’s what makes the general manager attractive to this job. Shanahan can be president without much distraction.

Now, it’s easy to think that ownership should have the Darche campaign instead of joining another executive. Friday’s announcement said they made it clear that he would manage all aspects of the lineup (another interesting Nuggets announced was that he was vice president when the team lacked a president).

That’s why Shanahan is a good idea to come in and avoid the hockey decision. Many of his moves were criticized when he was with the Maple Leafs, including sticking to the “Core Four” and preventing the trade from changing the base of the lineup. Additionally, as the team built four forwards at speed and skill, the overall philosophy is flawed, but there is no size or body in the top six, and the Maple Leafs are limited in the playoffs. Shanahan sticks to the core, is reluctant to move on, but is willing to move Nazem Kadri, a two-way center that clashes with his vision (ironically, he won the Cup after leaving).

So if the islander keeps him away from the roster decision, then the Darche-Shanahan combination will work. The question with this in mind is why he should be hired first. Shananan’s power was reduced, but the islanders needed his job, especially in the first few years of the Dutch era.

Darche

Being a general manager in the NHL and in all sports is not just “X and O’s”, “Jimmys and Joes”, or the idea behind exclusive on-ice products. The general manager is the CEO of the company, especially the team. They run everything from the front desk, the Scout department, hiring at all levels and relationships with owners, fans and everyone in between.

At the 48-year-old first time GM, this pile is too much. Darche is an assistant to Tampa Bay Lightning under Julien Brisebois and learns the nuances of the job, but his expertise is team building, especially finding young skaters joining a team in the Stanley Cup. Asking Dudge does everything else might make him and the Islanders try to catch up with the rest of the NHL as they try to rebuild or even rebuild on the fly.

That’s why there is a good case to introduce Shanahan, who is someone with experience in the relationships and business of the work. He can handle all the other tasks that come with his executives, while Darche focuses on products on ice. This is especially important because Darche learns the job instantly and finds his foothold as GM as he can start with his expertise and slowly learn about other elements before finally getting full control.

Why does it make sense for islanders to insist on Dutch only

If Maple Leaf can teach islanders anything, it is that there shouldn’t be too many people at the front desk. The Maple Leafs are breaking away from President GM Power Dynamic and allowing GM Brad Treliving to stay and run the team. Ideally, the Islanders have a GM, which is the bridge between the ownership group and the roster.

The Islanders will be a team based on the Darche vision. Even if Shanahan joins the ship, he will sit down without the final decision, especially on the roster. Yes, Darche will rebuild instantly, and that’s not easy. The previous seasons may see the team take a step back. That is, in the long run, it will resolve and the islanders will become competitors.