San Jose Sharks general manager Doug Wilson is reportedly in “full panic mode,” according to Bruce Garrioch’s of the Ottawa Sun, and three of the team’s pending unrestricted free agents - Ryane Clowe, Michal Handzus and Douglas Murray - are available.
The Sharks won their first seven games of the season, but have just five victories since. They are now sitting eighth in the Western Conference standings and have fallen 14 points back of the Anaheim Ducks in the Pacific Division.
They suffered a loss to the L.A. Kings Saturday, prompting a diatribe from head coach Todd McLellan.
“How frickin’ disappointing is that?” McLellan told the San Jose Mercury News.
“We play against the Stanley Cup champions back to back, we’re lucky enough to win one in San Jose, and we come here and you’ve got to think they’d be champing at the bit and ready to go. What a great opportunity for our team to test themselves collectively, but also individually. Do I belong in the NHL? And we had a lot of passengers.”