The Toronto Maple Leafs are set to restructure their front office after naming franchise legend Mats Sundin as their Senior Executive Advisor of Hockey Operations and John Chayka as the general manager after Brad Treliving was fired in March.
More changes are likely coming in the near future, including the expected departure of former NHL player Shane Doan, who'd served as a special advisor to Treliving since 2023.
David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period first reported Doan's impending exit:
With Chayka & Sundin now at the top of the Hockey Ops totem pole in Toronto, expect a few more front office changes to eventually occur. Among them, I’m told Shane Doan’s tenure with the Maple Leafs is coming to an end.
— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) May 4, 2026
Doan, a former Arizona Coyotes superstar, was unhappy with how his storied tenure with the organization unceremoniously ended early in Chayka's time leading the Yotes' front office.
Chayka resigned from his role with the Coyotes in 2020, which started a whirlwind of controversy. He later received a suspension from the NHL and cost Arizona two draft picks for the team's prospect workouts, which violated league rules.
Doan, a two-time All-Star, returned to the franchise in an executive role in 2021 before opting to accept to the opportunity with the Leafs two years later.
The 49-year-old Canadian is the father of Buffalo Sabres breakout star Josh Doan.
Buffalo Sabres should consider adding Shane Doan to general manager Jarmo Kekalainen's staff
You'd be hard-pressed to find someone in the hockey world that doesn't like or respect Doan, who won both the 2010 King Clancy Memorial Trophy and the 2012 Mark Messier Leadership Award.
It's allowed him to earn opportunities in his post-playing career, including work with Team Canada in addition to his time with the Coyotes and Leafs.
Meanwhile, the Sabres could be looking to bolster their front-office depth this summer with multiple executives, including Marc Bergevin, Josh Flynn and Sam Ventura, being mentioned as potential candidates for other positions around the league.
Even if the team doesn't lose front-office members to other organizations, Kekalainen said after taking over midseason that everybody would be evaluated for the remainder of the campaign, which means changes could still be on the horizon.
Having Shane and Josh, who showcased their strong father-son relationship during a recent interview with NHL insider Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, in the same organization would be an awesome reunion moment for the Doan family.
"It would be something where I think [my dad] would be — I think it would be the two of us first would be really cool," Josh said on the 32 Thoughts podcast about his dreams of celebrating a Stanley Cup title with Shane and the family. "And then bring the rest of them in after. It'd be hard to keep my siblings away there, they're pretty passionate, too."
They were previously with the Coyotes together from 2021 through 2023.
It also helps that there are no Josh-related hockey decisions on the horizon. He already signed a seven-year, $48.7 million contract extension that keeps him in Buffalo through the 2032-33 season, and there's obviously no chance he'll land on the trade block any time soon.
So, if the Sabres are seeking some front-office reinforcements in the coming months, they could do a lot worse than Shane Doan. The familial connection is just an added bonus.
For now, the younger Doan is focused on trying to help the Sabres hunt down a championship. They lead the Montreal Canadiens in their second-round series after a Game 1 win on Wednesday. Game 2 is set for Friday night in Buffalo.
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