This time last year, it was not a foregone conclusion that general manager Doug Wilson and head coach Todd McLellan would be back with the San Jose Sharks.
Wilson was seemingly reeling from a trade that sent Dany Heatley to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for Martin Havlat. He played in just 39 games for the team, while Heatley played in all 82 games and registered 53 points.
The Sharks offense was abysmal, and the special teams, a facet of the game the team used to hang their hat on, was even worse—McLellan took the full brunt of the blame for the struggles.
However, the Sharks are in a good place now. They were just one game away from a berth in the Western Conference Finals after a lockout-shortened season that saw them approach rebuilding territory, then quickly commit to reloading this offseason.
As recent as it sounds, McLellan’s job was arguably on the line as late as the trade deadline in April. The Sharks were recovering from a February that saw them win only two games, followed by a March in which they went 8-4-2.
Wilson’s work at the trade deadline is the full reason for ...
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Article written by Scott Semmler
San Jose Sharks: How Todd McLellan Kept His Job in San Jose
June 3rd, 2013 by Scott Semmler Leave a reply »
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