Kings and Sabres chasing McLellan
Dennis Bernstein: (yesterday morning) “Barring a last-minute snag, Todd McLellan is on track to become the next coach of the Los Angeles Kings … My understanding is McLellan has accepted the role in principle, final touches are being put on a 5-year deal.”
Pierre LeBrun: (early afternoon yesterday) “Source close to Todd McLellan says the free-agent coach has not yet made his decision. Remains very much interested in both the L.A. and Buffalo opportunities. McLellan slated to meet with Sabres brass today. Kings, meanwhile, remain hopeful they can get him. We’ll see.”
John Hoven: (late morning yesterday) “Did some further digging this morning (after some coffee, of course)… From what we’ve gathered, nothing has changed on the LA Kings coaching front, contrary to other reports. Yes, they continue to talk with McLellan. No new news though.”
David Pagnotta: After making $3 million a season with the Edmonton Oilers, McLellan is expected to get more than $4 million potentially from the Kings.
Don’t expect a Skinner decision right away
Lance Lysowski of the Buffalo News: Buffalo Sabres pending free agent winger Jeff Skinner when asked if he wants to re-sign with the Sabres or test free agency.
“Now that the season is over, the questions are obviously going to start coming in, but it’s been two or three days,” Skinner told reporters during locker cleanout Monday in KeyBank Center. “It’s not enough really to give it some proper thought that it deserves. It deserves some reflection, just like any season. We’ll take the time to do that right away, but to answer your question, I like it here. I love it here. I like the guys, I like the city. I had a great time.”
Skinner added that whoever the Sabres hire as their next coach won’t really factor into his decision.
Sabres GM Jason Botterill and Skinner’s agent Don Meehan have held talks since the All-Star break.
Any decision is going to take some time.
“Obviously it’s a big decision,” he said. “It deserves a lot of thought, a lot of reflection – on both parts, I think – in order for that process to play itself out. I think it’s going to take some time. It’s not going to happen in the first couple days.”