Sharks owners disappointed in early playoff exit

Coach Todd McLellan will have to wait to get a similar show of support from Wilson to determine whether he will be back for a fifth season at the helm.

The ownership group of Sharks Sports & Entertainment issued a statement Wednesday calling a seventh-place finish in the Western Conference and a first-round playoff loss to St. Louis unacceptable while also backing Wilson's leadership.

"We will not lower our expectation that every San Jose Sharks team we put on the ice is capable of winning the Stanley Cup," the statement said. "Despite the fact that our team has experienced a tremendous amount of success over the past eight seasons, we are not satisfied with those results and neither is Doug. The ownership group has confidence that Doug will make the necessary changes to ensure our club remains among the NHL's elite franchises."

What those changes will be remains to be seen.

Wilson and the coaching staff have been meeting with players separately since the season ended April 21. Once those meetings are finished, Wilson will meet with McLellan and a decision on the coaching staff might not come for a few more weeks.

"I have not gotten through the process yet of full review," Wilson said. "Just as we do every year, there's no decisions made prior to giving people the opportunity to go through the whole review process. I'll need some more time on that."

Wilson said the meetings with players have been long and emotional sessions, with some running five times longer than scheduled. He said some of what he has learned so far confirmed his previous beliefs while some spurred him to look at the problems differently.

He said it was important to hear from everyone before making any decisions.