DeBoer leans on past experience in hope of future success
Losing in the Stanley Cup Final for a second time as an NHL head coach, Pete DeBoer knows better than most that he is prepared to withstand the adversity that presents itself to a team returning after a long, successful, but ultimately disappointing postseason run.
That's not because he's wiser. It's because this time, coach actually has a fighting chance.
"I learned you don't let Kovalchuk and Parise leave," DeBoer told Yahoo!'s Greg Wyshynski when asked about what he can take from his close call with the New Jersey Devils in 2012.
"That's what I learned."
His two leading scorers that year, Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise, combined for 68 goals and 152 points, or overall production comparable to San Jose's two leading point getters last year - Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton.
But when assessing San Jose's chances in its second season under DeBoer, it's boosted by much more than its returning Joes. Avoiding the talent drain all together, every significant piece from last year's run to the Stanley Cup Final - San Jose's first in franchise history - remains at DeBoer's disposal. And unlike most contenders, management was actually able to augment the operation over the summer.
So following a debut season that saw him do something that his respected predecessor, Todd McLellan, couldn't, as he uncovered a formula that worked for a talented, perpetually underachieving core, DeBoer has a chance to shake things up further.
It's been eight years since either a Stanley Cup champion or finalist returned to the big dance in the following season.