The San Jose Sharks are now searching for a new head coach after they fired Todd McLellan. He had been in that position for the last eight seasons. Is this the right move for the San Jose Sharks?
McLellan was hired by the Sharks on June 11, 2008 when he replaced Ron Wilson. In his first year behind the bench the Sharks had a record of 53-18-11. They won the President’s Trophy for the best record. In the playoffs, they lost in the first-round to the Anaheim Ducks 4 games to 2. In 2010 and 2011 it was back-to-back trips to the Western Conference Finals. They would never go that far again with McLellan. Last year, the Sharks had a commanding 3-0 lead in the first-round of the playoffs over the L.A. Kings. It looked like the Sharks would sweep the Kings. L.A. would win the next four to become the fourth team in NHL history to comeback from a 3-0 deficit. The Kings went all the way to win the Stanley Cup. After that series, McLellan wondered if his message was still getting through to the players. General Manager Doug Wilson decided to keep McLellan for another season.
This season the team struggled. They started 4-0-1 but would lose their next four games. During the season they had a four game losing streak and two, three game skids. They never seemed to get over the first-round playoff loss. They ended with a record of 40-33-9 for 89 points. This was the third lowest in the Western Conference. Only Edmonton and Arizona had fewer points. General Manager Doug Wilson determined it was time to go in a different direction. According to ESPN, Wilson said, “I want to thank Todd and his staff for their years of service to the San Jose Sharks organization. Sometimes a change is best for all parties involved but nothing will take away from what Todd and his staff accomplished here over the last seven seasons.”
In McLellan’s seven years he had a record of 311-163-66. He was a great regular season coach. He could never reach the Stanley Cup with a talented team who included Patrick Marleau, Joe Pavelski, Joe Thornton, Scott Hannan, and Antti Niemi. It was the playoff disappointments that cost him his job. McLellan will have another opportunity to coach in the NHL. It’s just a matter of which team will want him. He should be the number one name for teams who have an open head coaching position.
The Sharks have one coach they should contact about the position, Dan Bylsma. Bylsma coached the Pittsburgh Penguins six years, from 2008 to 2014. His record was 252-117-32. The Penguins reached the playoffs every year and won the Stanley Cup in the 2008-2009 season. If the Sharks want a proven coach, Bylsma is the only name they should consider. He will not only coach the Sharks to the playoffs but a deep Stanley Cup playoff run.
Who should be the next coach of the San Jose Sharks?
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