A free agent at noon today, Brendan Shanahan isn’t going to glue a Bluetooth to his ear in anticipation of the call that probably won’t come from the Blueshirts.
Rather, The Post has been told to expect the 39-year-old winger to go home again – home to New Jersey to complete the circle of his first-ballot worthy Hall of Fame career that commenced with the Devils in 1987-88.
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Shanahan, who rejected an offer from Lou Lamoriello to sign a free agent contract with the Rangers two years ago, recorded 46 points (23-23) in 73 games for the Blueshirts last season. He was the team’s third-leading goal-scorer behind co-leaders Jaromir Jagr and Chris Drury (23), and his 11 PPG’s were second on the team to Drury’s 12.
But Shanahan struggled noticeably the second half of the season. On break-up day after the Rangers’ second-round elimination, Shanahan cited lingering leg injuries as the root cause of his problems.
Later that day coach Tom Renney made it clear in an address to the media that Shanahan’s role would have to be re-defined if he were to return for 2008-09.
Shanahan, whom the head coach had depended upon to be his voice in the room and on the bench, was stung by the evaluation. Moreover, Shanahan believes that, if healthy, he can be a significant contributor this season.
But coming up on free agency, No. 14 was essentially told by GM Glen Sather that his status would be determined by what else the Blueshirts might do upon the opening of the market.
If Shanahan does indeed rejoin the Devils, for whom he played from 1987 through 1992, before going to St. Louis as a free agent, he would be expected to improve a power play that was ranked 25th overall last season while likely skating right wing at even strength with either John Madden or Travis Zajac.