There’s just something about how Doug Wilson and Todd McLellan looked together during the press conference. This looks like a good match – McLellan brings the qualities that so many of us were hoping for in a new coach. I like that he’s young, he’s a proven winner on every level, he comes highly recommended from the best in Scotty Bowman and he is looking to inject the Sharks with a new attitude – which this team desperately needs. We’ve all loathed the Sharks power play under Wilson, the non movement and static nature of Joe on the boards looking to make the perfect pass. Those days are surely done. We might actually see McLellan use a big body like Clowe similarly to how he used Holmstrom in Detroit – or even put Thunder Joe himself in front of the net.

What most impressed me during the press conference was the statement by Doug Wilson that McLellan called the Sharks the morning after he had just won the Stanley Cup with one thing on his mind, “When can I get to San Jose to interview for the job?”. He wanted this job. He wanted to be here. E.J. Hradek discussed this morning on NHL Live that he heard Doug Wilson called McLellan at the airport on Tuesday after they spent two days together and asked him to postpone his trip to interview for Atlanta. The fact that McLellan did just that – throwing away any chance that Atlanta would interview him after doing that – also shows how much he wanted to be there.

One thing that was pointed out in the Mercury News today is that we often forget that DW did not hire Ron Wilson, he inherited him. In the end, this is his first chance to get a coach that completely melds with the roster he has assembled since 2003. This goes back to teamwork, working together with a partner in a coach that is on the same page as you across the board. McLellan and Doug Wilson seem to have this understanding already, and that could be a major piece in the Sharks taking the next step we fans are all waiting for.

On a side note, you have to believe that the hiring of McLellan means that Brian Campbell isn’t going anywhere. Getting a powerplay specialist coach who is used to having Rafalski, Schneider and Lidstrom on the point and then not giving him the roster to operate with would have been discouraging for McLellan, I’m sure. This topic must have come up during their meetings. There’s no point in having a high tempo, puck possession coach when you don’t have the quarterback to start the break. This gives even more hope that Brian Campbell isn’t going anywhere and a deal could be struck after the draft when the Sharks clear the cap room needed to make the deal.

I’ve got a good feeling. It’s a solid way to officially start the offseason in San Jose.