With Bob Boughner officially becoming the new head coach of the Florida Panthers, the question now becomes who the Buffalo Sabres will hire to fill their vacant head coaching position.

According to TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie, the Buffalo Sabres wanted to wait until after the Stanley Cup final to fill the position and has pegged Nashville Predators' assistant coach Phil Housley as the front-runner along with possibly Pittsburgh Penguins' assistants Rick Tocchet and Jacques Martin.

Housley was named an assistant coach with the Predators in 2013 after coaching Team USA to a gold medal at the World Juniors earlier that year. 

A Hall of Fame defenceman, Housley suited up for eight teams over his 21-year career, which came to an end after the 2002-03 season. He ranks 19th in league history with 1,495 career games played.

Housley has never served as a head coach at a league level, serving only in international competition.

Tocchet has more coaching experience under his belt. After 18 seasons in the NHL, he began his coaching career with the Colorado Avalanche in 2002-03 as an assistant before moving on to the then-Phoenix Coyotes in 2005-08 and finally Tampa Bay Lightning before getting his first opportunity as a head coach with the Lightning after Barry Melrose was fired on Nov. 16, 2008.

The 53-year-old had the interim tag removed as head coach of the Lightning on May 11, 2009 and signed a two-year deal with the team, but was relieved of his duties on Apr. 12, 2010 by new ownership after compiling a record of 53-69-26.

He then returned behind the bench as an assistant with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2014 offseason helping the team to two straight Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017.

“If a situation arises, I’d love a shot at it,” Tocchet told TSN during this year's Stanley Cup final. “Listen, there’s a lot of great coaches out there. Every year, it seems, there’s a flavour of the year coach - whether it’s a guy in the minors or an assistant that’s winning.

“I think I’m a good coach. I can work with anybody chemistry-wise. If it works out, it works out. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. I’m lucky in the situation I’m in, this is the best job other than being a head coach, being with Mike and the Penguins.”

Fellow Penguins' assistant Martin is the most experienced of the three potential candidates mentioned by McKenzie. The 64-year-old has been head coach of the St. Louis Blues, Chicago Blackhawks, Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche, Ottawa Senators, Florida Panthers and Montreal Canadiens amassing a 613-481-119-81 career record and four division championships.

Both Housley and Tocchet have not yet interviewed with the Sabres, but some others already have, including Craig Berube, head coach of the AHL's Chicago Wolves, assistant coach Todd Reirden of the Washington Capitals, and assistant coach Scott Arniel of the New York Rangers. The Panthers' Boughner was also interviewed by the team.