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Sharks owner ‘very disappointed,’ but McLellan’s job is safe

Todd McLellan, Joe Thornton, Tomas Hertl, Brent Burns

San Jose Sharks head coach Todd McLellan, tops, talks with defenseman Brent Burns (88), center Joe Thornton (19) and center Tomas Hertl (48), from Czech Republic, during the third period of Game 7 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Kings in San Jose, Calif., Wednesday, April 30, 2014. The Kings won 5-1. (AP Photo)

AP

You can all but cross Todd McLellan’s name off the list of available coaching candidates.

The Sharks bench boss, who’s job security has been in question since San Jose blew a 3-0 series lead against Los Angeles in Round 1, sounds as though he’ll be retained for next season -- courtesy a statement released today by club owner Hasso Plattner.

It reads:

“I am very disappointed in the way our team finished the 2013-14 season. Gaining a 3-0 series advantage and being unable to advance is a major blow to our organization and fan base. Our teams have been consistently built to go deep into the playoffs and this goal won’t change.

“Doug Wilson and I have met over the past two weeks. He has shared his support of the coaching staff, as well as his recommended changes to our team’s roster, and he has my complete support moving forward.

“I want to thank our extremely loyal fans and partners for their continued support and to let them know that we are not satisfied with the status quo of the last several seasons.

“I am confident that with the proposed changes, Doug and his staff will build a team we can all be proud of.”

The Sharks have been largely quiet for the last two weeks regarding the future of the organization. The last public statements came from Wilson on May 2, when he said the team had several options moving forward, but noted “the status quo isn’t one of them.” Also, as Plattner alluded to, Wilson said McLellan and his assistants -- Larry Robinson, Jim Johnson and Jay Woodcroft -- shouldn’t lose their jobs over the L.A. collapse.

According to CSN Bay Area, it’s believed McLellan has two years remaining on his contract. Given teams were reportedly waiting to see if he’d be fired before making their own hires -- the McLellan watch was rumored to be on in Vancouver -- San Jose might’ve preached patience with a guy regarded to be one of the NHL’s better bench bosses.

What the Sharks do now remains to be seen, as it’s clear roster changes are coming. The biggest decisions will likely be the future of Dan Boyle, who’s a UFA on July 1, and how the team opts to deal with Antti Niemi, who was parked in Game 6 of the Kings series in favor of Alex Stalock before returning in Game 7 to allow three goals on 28 shots in a 5-1 loss.

The club could also use a compliance buyout on Martin Havlat, and possibly explore trade options -- though it’s worth noting Havlat, Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Brent Burns, Raffi Torres, Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Brad Stuart all have some form of no-trade or no-movement clause.

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