Some former NHL stars might end up being added to the San Jose Sharks’ coaching staff.
The Sharks already announced that ex-NHLers Bob Boughner and Johan Hedberg would serve under head coach Peter DeBoer, but a team source told CSN Bay Area that there are plans to further bolster that group.
Two possible contenders include Adam Oates and Evgeni Nabokov. The prior has had conversations with DeBoer last month about a possible role with the Sharks. Oates, who ranks 17th on the NHL’s all-time scoring list, could serve as a power play specialist for San Jose, which is a role he once had under DeBoer when they helped lead the New Jersey Devils to the Stanley Cup Final in 2012.
Nabokov, who won 353 career games while playing primarily for San Jose, took part in the Sharks’ recent development camp as a guest coach, but perhaps that was a precursor for a more regular role within San Jose’s organization. That being said, the Sharks already have Hedberg to work with the team’s NHL goaltenders.
Steve Spott is another candidate for a coaching job with the Sharks. Unlike the Oates and Nabokov, Spott never played in the NHL, but he does have far more coaching experience. Spott, who was an assistant coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs last season, is another person that could run the power play.