"I want to be back. I want to coach this team," DeBoer said Tuesday.
The Golden Knights (43-31-8) lost three of their last four games (1-0-3) and did not qualify for the playoffs for the first time since entering the NHL at the start of the 2017-18 season. They finished three points behind the Nashville Predators for the second wild card in the Western Conference.
Vegas advanced to the Stanley Cup Final in its inaugural season before losing to the Washington Capitals in five games. The Golden Knights also advanced to the Western Conference Final in 2019-20, losing in five games to the Dallas Stars, and to the Stanley Cup Semifinals last season, losing to the Montreal Canadiens in six games.
DeBoer is 98-50-12 since replacing Gerard Gallant as coach on Jan. 15, 2020.
"Pete is under contract," Vegas general manager Kelly McCrimmon said. "Pete and I will sit down later this week. When you conclude your season, these meetings are a common place."
The Golden Knights played 46 games this season without forward Mark Stone, and 43 without forward Max Pacioretty because of various injuries. Forward Reilly Smith (undisclosed) did not play in the team's final 24 games, and Alec Martinez missed 53 games because of a facial injury he sustained after being struck by the skate blade of Minnesota Wild forward Brandon Duhaime on Nov. 11.
Goalie Robin Lehner had shoulder surgery Wednesday for an injury he sustained in a 6-0 loss to the Calgary Flames on Feb. 9. McCrimmon said he hoped to learn more about Lehner's recovery timeline after the surgery.
"The reality of this season, and what I'll look back 10 years from now, is going to be 500-man games lost, that bled into everything we did," DeBoer said. "The only other teams that had that many all finished last in their division."
