Boughner not guaranteed to return as Sharks coach, GM says

Bob Boughner is not guaranteed to return as San Jose Sharks coach next season, general manager Doug Wilson said Tuesday.

"We're committed to putting the best staff together to get this team ready to come out of the gates next year, and Bob certainly has the inroads on that," Wilson said.

But Wilson did not commit to Boughner's return, saying only that he was going to be thorough. San Jose was 14-20-3 under Boughner after Peter DeBoer was fired as Sharks coach on Dec. 11.

"We are still in the process," Wilson said. "I've talked to all our players. I've been talking to Bob quite a bit lately, talking about just how we want to play and some adjustments, and some things that were learned through not only our team this year, but around the League, what works and what doesn't.

"So it's a process that's ongoing. Very difficult to come in and coach a team halfway through the year. You don't necessarily have all the ingredients in your staff that you want around you. … I think he came in and did a very good job."

Wilson spoke after the NHL announced that the Sharks and six other teams would not be part of the 24-team Return to Play Plan this season. San Jose (29-36-5) finished last in the Western Conference with a .450 points percentage.

Missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs is a rarity for the Sharks, who failed to qualify once in the previous 15 seasons (2014-15) but reached the Stanley Cup Final the next season, when they lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games.

Because of that, Wilson was asked about his future, and whether next season would be an important year for him.

"I don't look at it that way," he said, acknowledging that criticism was warranted. "My job is to do what's right for the organization, not do what's right for me. The team always comes first. We've been very fortunate to have very successful teams for a long period of time. The key is to bounce back and to be honest in your evaluation."

Wilson referenced that 2014-15 team, when he traded for goalie Martin Jones, and signed defenseman Paul Martin and forward Joel Ward as free agents, in terms of how they might change to get back to the playoffs.

"Our plans have not changed," Wilson said. "They haven't changed since the day that we took over in 2003. Making the playoffs is something that is the minimum requirement. We've gone through this before. We think we have the bones of a good hockey team. There is some experiential learning that [we] went through this season. It's two years in a row that we got off to slow starts, and in this league of parity, I don't think you can do that.

"Having said that, there are some things that are going to have to be added or change or grow."

He listed some of their priorities, starting with the 2020 NHL Draft, where they will focus on offense, a sense of connection and focus from the start of the season, along with health and getting back to "playing the right way." San Jose's first-round pick was traded to the Ottawa Senators in a deal including defenseman Erik Karlsson before the 2018-19 season.

"This is going to be a really important draft," Wilson said. "We've got seven picks, but three in the top 60. This is a really deep draft for what we're looking for, so getting a pick in the first round, having the other two seconds, we know we'll come out of it with some good players."

There are other questions for the Sharks, including whether Joe Thornton returns. The forward, who turns 41 on July 2, can become an unrestricted free agent after this season.

"I talk a lot with [Joe]," Wilson said. "I've always said our conversations always stay personal and private between the two of us, but not too many days go by that we don't talk. There's nobody that loves the game and this organization and team more than Jumbo."