If you’re wondering about the status of Lou Lamoriello’s contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs, don’t count on getting an answer any time soon.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman spoke with Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan Saturday morning about Lamoriello’s future as GM, and relayed the following statement from Shanahan during Hockey Night in Canada:
“No decisions have been made. I haven’t spoken to any of the particulars,” Shanahan told Friedman. “We are concentrating on the rest of the season and the playoffs. Any decisions about the organization won’t be made until after the season is over.”
The exact terms and details of Lamoriello’s contract with the club are unclear, as is whether he would leave the team altogether or simply step into a different front office role to make way for assistant GM Kyle Dubas, who many believe is being groomed for the top spot.
“Lou Lamoriello has a saying, ‘If you have time, use it,’” said Friedman. “And that’s what Shanahan seems to be subscribing to.”
Lamoriello, 75, has been at the helm in Toronto since 2015, when he left the New Jersey Devils to take on the challenge of rebuilding the Maple Leafs. The young club found quick success under his guidance, barreling into a surprise playoff spot last season, and are now poised to return there again this spring.
Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos wondered aloud whether Shanahan’s mind is already made up on the matter.
“I can appreciate the quote, but I also think it’s rather inconsistent in the way that Brendan Shanahan has led the Toronto Maple Leafs in the last four years,” he said. “Let’s face it. Since day one, this guy has had a plan, and there’s no signs whatsoever that he’s deviated from that plan.
“So maybe, just maybe, what is consistent is that he’s already made his decision, but to respect the people around him, he’s going to keep it quiet until he’s ready to go public with it, as he said, at the end of the season.”
[relatedlinks]
