The Florida Panthers will interview Bob Boughner about their vacant head coaching job, according to TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun.

The Panthers got permission from the San Jose Sharks to speak to Boughner earlier this month.

Boughner, 46, has been an assistant coach under Pete DeBoer in San Jose for the past two seasons. Before joining the Sharks, Boughner coached the OHL's Windsor Spitfires for eight of the previous nine seasons, winning back-to-back league and Memorial Cup championships in 2009 and 2010. 

After his second national championship, Boughner worked as an assistant with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2010-11 before joining Windsor for the next four campaigns. This time around he was unable to get the Spitfires past the first-round of the playoffs.

He joined San Jose in 2015.

Boughner played defence in the NHL for 12 seasons, recording 15 goals and 57 assists over 630 career games with the Buffalo Sabres, Nashville Predators, Pittsburgh Penguins, Calgary Flames, Carolina Hurricanes and Colorado Avalanche. 

LeBrun also reports Boughner may be on the Buffalo Sabres' radar for their head coaching vacancy, but it's not believed the Sabres have reached out to the Sharks and asked for permission to speak to him yet.

The Panthers are in need of a new coach after firing Gerard Gallant in late November. Tom Rowe took over for the rest of the season on an interim basis, but was not retained.  

After a solid 2015-16 season, Florida took a step back this year, finishing with a 35-36-11 record and a sixth place finish in the Atlantic Division.

Boughner is one of at least four candidates to be at least rumoured for the Panthers head coaching job. University of Denver head coach Jim Montgomery and former Montreal Canadiens head coach Michel Therrien have reportedely already interviewed for the position, while the Panthers are waiting to speak to Nashville Predators assistant coach Phil Housley.