Reports: Todd McLellan set to become next Oilers head coach
Todd McLellan will be the next head coach for the Edmonton Oilers, according to multiple reports.
The deal was not yet finalized Monday night as a few details were still to be worked out, according to TSN's Darren Dreger.
Getting McLellan would continue an off-season of big changes for the Oilers. They scored the first overall pick in this year’s draft, which means they’ll likely have prized prospect Connor McDavid anchoring their lineup for years to come. They removed general manager Craig MacTavish and replaced him with former Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli. Now, they are set to land one the biggest coaching free agents.
This was a team in tremendous turmoil following another season full of disappointment. Head coach Dallas Eakins was fired after a 7-18-5 start. Todd Nelson then went 17-25-9 in an interim capacity. The Oilers finished with 62 points, second-worst in the Western Conference.
McLellan led San Jose to the playoffs six times during his seven years with the team. His teams have had over 100 points four of those times, while producing 50-plus wins three times.
But those Sharks teams never did better than consecutive trips to the conference finals in 2010 and 2011. They lost in the first round in 2009, 2012 and 2014 and in the second round in 2013. This past season, the team missed the postseason altogether for the first time since 2002-2003.
ESPN's Pierre LeBrun reports the Oilers will have to pay compensation to the Sharks for hiring McLellan.
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