Hockey Hall of Fame winger Brendan Shanahan, who recently rejoined the NHL's hockey operations department after a stint as president of the Toronto Maple Leafs, would reportedly listen to an offer from the Buffalo Sabres to take over their front office.
Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet reported Wednesday that Shanahan's move back to the NHL offices is almost assuredly a short-term arrangement as he searches for his next stop.
"The most obvious team that may be interested in him is the Buffalo Sabres, an organization in dire need of some credibility and leadership — and owner Terry Pegula knows it," Kypreos wrote. "It sounds like Shanahan would consider taking a job there, but it would have to come with the same autonomy he enjoyed with the Maple Leafs."
Kypreos noted "some immediate pressure has been relieved" from the Buffalo front office, led by general manager Kevyn Adams, as the team recovered from a brutal 0-3-0 start to the season. In turn, a blockbuster move to hire Shanahan likely isn't imminent.
Nevertheless, it's an intriguing situation to watch as the Sabres attempt to avoid their NHL-record 14-year playoff drought getting extended once again.
Brendan Shanahan would bring a more aggressive mindset to the Buffalo Sabres front office
Adams has made it clear throughout his six-year GM tenure that he doesn't believe in quick fixes despite the organization's endless losing cycle. He's implemented a draft-and-develop strategy that's yet to yield anywhere close to the desired results.
If Pegula decided to hand the keys to Shanahan, it'd suggest the Sabres are looking to change their approach, which will be necessary if the postseason drought reaches 15 years.
Shanahan oversaw a successful rebuild in Toronto that included the arrival of several franchise cornerstones, including Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Mitch Marner and Morgan Rielly, as well as the blockbuster signing of John Tavares.
The biggest failure of the Adams Era in Buffalo's front office is the inability to land high-impact players via trade or free agency. The Sabres simply haven't been able to supplement a solid core headlined by Rasmus Dahlin and Tage Thompson.
Buffalo sports fans have long waited for an "all-in move" that suggests the franchise is starting to get serious about trying to win again. It hasn't arrived.
Shanahan, an eight-time NHL All-Star and three-time Stanley Cup champion, would likely represent a stark change from Adams' laissez-faire attitude.
The Sabres need to find out whether their current core is capable of making a serious rise up the Eastern Conference standings. The only way to give them a fair share is making a couple bold moves, likely for offensive-minded forwards, to upgrade the roster.
If that fails, it'll be time for Buffalo to begin another full-scale rebuild, and Shanahan showed during his decade-plus in Toronto that he knows how to navigate those situations.
For now, the Sabres are probably going to give Adams the remainder of the 2025-26 season to prove he deserves to keep his spot atop the front office. The only way that changes is if they endure another long losing streak, like the 13-gamer that destroyed last season.
Anything less than a playoff berth should lead to significant changes in Buffalo, however, and it sounds like Shanahan is ready to interview if a vacancy arises.