McLellan settling in

From David Pollak of the San Jose Mercury News:

McLellan talked with certainty about some things – the need to establish a system that demands his players use speed up the middle to enter the offensive zone, then fire the puck at the net frequently once they get there.

He was less specific about others. Coaches, for example, generally choose team captains, and while McLellan said he knows of no reason not to keep Patrick Marleau in that role, “in fairness to everybody involved, I would like to have the opportunity to sit down with him and talk about leadership and the responsibilities that go with it.”

Still, one overriding message being delivered was that McLellan was brought to San Jose to get the most out of the assembled talent – and not by coddling.

Coaches, he said, are smart enough to know that players “can’t be at their elite level all the time.”

But, he quickly added, “A coach has to create an environment where a player wants to expend an extra ounce of energy, he wants to give a little bit more to his teammates, he wants to push himself when he doesn’t feel like he should be pushed anymore.”

Read the entire article here.

McLellan is already looking comfortable in his new gig. The first-time NHL head coach continues to stress the importance of speed up the middle. With the depth and speed of the San Jose roster, McLellan may have just taken the perfect job.