REPORT: Mellanby Out of Running for Sharks GM, Down to Whitney or Grier?

Grand opening…grand closing?

Scott Mellanby, per Darren Dreger, emerged yesterday as a finalist for San Jose Sharks GM.

REPORT: Mellanby a Sharks GM Candidate?

But just like that, it appears as if Mellanby is out.

**Keep an eye 👁 on**
I can confirm longtime @NHL player and executive Scott Mellanby was among finalists for the @SanJoseSharks vacant GM role. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in another front office in the not too distant future. @espn #HockeyTwitter

— Kevin Weekes (@KevinWeekes) July 2, 2022

This leaves Ray Whitney and Mike Grier as the other reported finalists for Sharks GM. Yesterday, interim GM Joe Will suggested that there could be three to five finalists, so are there two more besides Whitney, Grier, and Mellanby? Or was that simply a smokescreen?

Regardless, it sounds like finalists are getting narrowed down, so the San Jose Sharks new GM should be revealed soon.

Yesterday, San Jose Hockey Now noted that “it would make sense for the Sharks to unveil their new GM before the Jul. 7 Draft — the bright lights of the Draft is a good PR springboard to introduce him or her to the hockey world and the general public. Logistically, before the beginning of free agency on Jul. 13 also makes sense, so the new GM can have a hand in shaping the 2022-23 Sharks.”

Could that be the timeline?

Of the three reported finalists, Mellanby stood out as having the most managerial experience.

From 2014-21, Mellanby was Montreal Canadiens assistant general manager. Before that, he was Canadiens director of player personnel, St. Louis Blues assistant coach, and Vancouver Canucks senior advisor and scout.

Mellanby left the Canadiens in Dec. 2021 when he was passed over for the Montreal GM job when Marc Bergevin was fired.

In contrast, Whitney was a Carolina Hurricanes scout from 2015-18 and has been with the NHL Department of Player Safety since then. Grier is currently a New York Rangers advisor, and before that, a New Jersey Devils assistant head coach, and a Chicago Blackhawks scout.

Is the San Jose Sharks GM search down to two?