Red Wings GM: Brendan Shanahan Among the Names Starting to Be Mentioned

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Red Wings GM: Brendan Shanahan Among the Names Starting to Be Mentioned
Credit: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

This morning, we learned that Steve Yzerman is no longer the general manager of the Red Wings. Yzerman, who had held the position since 2019, has transitioned into an advisory role.

You're free to believe that version of the story or to believe another one suggesting that the team wanted to sideline him without firing him.

As a result, there are currently more questions than answers coming out of Detroit. And one of them is what will happen with Dylan Larkin.

But above all, it raises the question of who will replace Yzerman. And on that front, Elliotte Friedman shared some interesting insights tonight.

Speaking on the NHL Network, the insider explained that the Red Wings will cast a wide net. They'll look internally (Kris Draper and Shawn Horcoff will be considered), but also externally to fill a leadership role that remains undetermined.

And among the names mentioned by Friedman—who doesn't speak without good reason—is… Brendan Shanahan.

It's worth noting that Friedman didn't say Shanahan would be a serious candidate (or even a candidate at all) in the process, but he did mention his name. And we know that Shanahan, just like Yzerman, is a Red Wings legend… and a respected executive throughout the league.

And that means that after the “Yzerplan,” the Red Wings could move on to the “Shanaplan.”

Remember that Shanahan spent about ten years with the Maple Leafs. The team let him go at the end of the 2024–25 season, and while he can be criticized for failing to build a team capable of making a deep playoff run, he still saw his team enjoy a great deal of success during the regular season.

And critics will point out that, unlike Yzerman's Red Wings, Shanahan's Maple Leafs at least made it to the playoffs.


In a Nutshell

– Enjoy the episode.

– Good question.

– That's right.

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