5 NHL coaches who could be on the hot seat by Thanksgiving
By Kyle McKenna
3. Peter DeBoer – San Jose Sharks
Entering his fifth season as the San Jose Sharks’ head coach, Peter DeBoer is arguably on the hot seat and as early as Thanksgiving.
Yes, the Teal have reached the Stanley Cup playoffs in all four seasons under DeBoer, and even advanced to the 2015-16 Stanley Cup final (lost in six games to Pittsburgh). Yet, after almost 20 years of regular-season success and broken hearts, and with a deep roster in all areas on the ice, there’s no time for the Sharks to slip.
San Jose began its 2019-20 campaign on the wrong “fin” after not winning its first game until the fifth game of the season; which also marked the return of the franchise’s beloved all-time points leader, Patrick Marleau (510 goals, 575 assists, 1085 points).
A majority of the Sharks’ roster has been intact since the DeBoer era started in 2015, but if the Sharks find themselves still out of the top eight in the Western Conference a month from now – general manager Paul Wilson may pull the plug on his current bench boss.
Keep in mind that two of the three past Stanley Cup winners let go of their head coaches in-season (2016 Penguins & 2019 Blues).
That aspect could be in the back of Wilson’s mind, especially after falling to those same St. Louis Blues during last year’s Western Conference Final in seven games, nonetheless. DeBoer’s playoff track is exceptional with a 46-38 record, which includes two trips to the Stanley Cup Final.
San Jose has experienced every type of playoff loss and emotion under DeBoer, considering the team has respectively lost in all four rounds since his tenure. Still, the Sharks are overdue for a parade – and you can be sure San Jose will do whatever it can to make sure forwards Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau are a part of that.