Now that Brendan Shanahan has everyone’s attention — having dramatically cleared office space throughout the Air Canada Centre — the Maple Leafs rebuild can truly begin.
Yet, the club president said the project’s simplicity might surprise a lot of cynics who are convinced that conditions in this hockey market mean the Leafs can never turn the corner to becoming a consistent contender.
“People ask me about ‘The Plan’ in Toronto,” Shanahan told a media crowd a day after a slew of executives, coaches and scouts jobs were whacked. “The plan is not something unique. Twenty-nine other teams do what they have to, which is draft, develop, (show) patience and make good choices.