Report: Panthers expected to name Bob Boughner head coach Monday

The Florida Panthers are closing in on a deal that would make San Jose Sharks assistant Bob Boughner the club's new head coach, TSN's Bob McKenzie reported Saturday morning.

It will mark Boughner's first NHL head coaching position, and he'll become the 15th bench boss in Panthers history. McKenzie adds the team is expected to officially announce the hiring Monday.

Boughner has been with the Sharks since 2015, and previously served as an assistant with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2010-11. However, the 46-year-old spent eight seasons as head coach of the OHL's Windsor Spitfires, winning back-to-back Memorial Cups in 2009 and 2010. He also suited up in 630 NHL games, recording 72 points and 1,382 penalty minutes as a defenseman.

The Panthers reportedly also considered former Canadiens coach Michel Therrien, Capitals assistant Todd Reirden, and the University of Denver's Jim Montgomery as candidates for the position.

With Boughner in the fold, Florida will hope for some consistency behind the bench after a tumultuous 2016-17 campaign that included the controversial firing of Gerard Gallant in November.

Gallant's since been hired to coach in Vegas, and with Boughner apparently bound for Sunrise, that leaves the Buffalo Sabres as the lone NHL team with a head coaching vacancy.