Neil Graham

The threat of losing Ryan Warsofsky to another team was likely a contributing factor in the Sharks’ choice to name him as their next head coach, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet opined on Friday’s “32 Thoughts” podcast. Warsofsky, who became the youngest head coach in the league this week at age 36, would have received considerable interest from around the league if he was passed over for the job in San Jose for the second time in three years.

Warsofsky was always a strong candidate for internal promotion after serving as an assistant under David Quinn for the past two seasons. He was interviewed for the head coaching job in 2022 after they let go of Bob Boughner, but the team opted to go with Quinn instead. They still managed to land Warsofsky in an assistant role, though, a decision they evidently think has paid dividends by his recent promotion.

While all the other head coaching vacancies this summer were filled by the time San Jose made their choice, a late GM change in Columbus has had some wondering if Blue Jackets head coach Pascal Vincent could be dismissed. There hasn’t been a ton of noise around Vincent in recent days, though, and the longer it stays quiet, the safer his job is. Still, Warsofsky likely could have landed an associate coach title somewhere else if he didn’t get the San Jose job, a smaller but still meaningful promotion as he eyed a clearer pathway to becoming a head coach. It’s a moot point now, though.

Here’s more on the Sharks:

• Kings AHL bench boss Marco Sturm may have finished second to Warsofsky in the Sharks’ search, but advancing to multiple rounds of interviews has still put him on other NHL teams’ radars, Friedman said. He remains under contract with Los Angeles next season, as confirmed by John Hoven of Mayor’s Manor, but it’s unclear how much longer he’s signed. Still, the Kings have obviously given him permission to seek other opportunities.
• Neil Graham, who’s spent parts of the last five seasons as the head coach of the AHL’s Texas Stars, was also considered as one of the initial candidates for the Sharks’ vacancy, per Friedman. The 39-year-old has been in the Dallas organization for more than a decade, first joining as an assistant coach with the ECHL’s Idaho Steelheads in 2012. He worked his way up to Steelheads head coach in 2015 and was promoted to the AHL bench four years later. The Calgary native hasn’t been connected to many NHL coaching jobs yet, but he’ll be a name to watch when the carousel starts spinning again next offseason.
• Sharks assistant Brian Wiseman is “most likely” to stick with the club after being granted permission to speak with other teams this offseason, Jeff Marek of Sportsnet said yesterday. Wiseman, 52, worked with the Sharks’ forward group and power play unit under Quinn the past two seasons after stints with the Oilers and the University of Michigan as an assistant.
• The Sharks have re-upped their affiliation agreement with the ECHL’s Wichita Thunder, per a team announcement. The Thunder have been affiliated with San Jose since the 2022-23 season after previously working under the Oilers’ and Senators’ organizational umbrellas.