Two potential Jack Adams Award nominees also happen to be the only NHL head coaches on expiring contracts.

The Columbus Blue Jackets’ Rick Bowness and the Buffalo Sabres’ Lindy Ruff are both up at the end of the year.

Bowness took over for the fired Dean Evason on Jan. 6, and he and Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell agreed they would focus on the rest of this season and reconvene afterward — to see how it went and how Bowness felt. That remains the plan as of this week.

Bowness, 71, will want to see where he’s at with the stress of NHL coaching back in his life after he retired two years ago. Bowness has said that the main reason he stepped away was health reasons — not just for himself but also for his wife Judy. Both are doing better now, and he couldn’t resist the opportunity when the Jackets reached out in January. And I mean, wow, has he turned around the Jackets’ season or what?

All things being equal, I think Bowness will want to come back, and I can’t see a reason the Jackets wouldn’t feel the same. But he needs a new contract.

Meanwhile, Jarmo Kekalainen inherited Ruff when he became Sabres GM. At the time, he said everyone in the organization was being evaluated. He then made a number of front-office changes. Obviously, the Sabres have taken off since. Kekalainen politely declined comment this week when I checked on the coaching status, reminding me he does not comment on things like that.

Ruff via text message said to me this week, “For me, I just take it one game at a time!!” — a good approach to life in general.

As long as Ruff feels up to it, though, it feels like he should be back, given that the Sabres have become the best story in the NHL.

The other team that needs to make an end-of-season coaching decision is the Los Angeles Kings. D.J. Smith was named interim head coach for the rest of the season, at which point GM Ken Holland will evaluate the fit. I think a new coaching hire is the most likely outcome unless the Kings make the playoffs and notch a first-round upset.

What about beyond this season? Here’s our annual look around the league.

Coaches with one year left

Normally, coaches with a year left on their contracts might get extended in the offseason or early next season (as the Calgary Flames’ Ryan Huska and Edmonton Oilers’ Kris Knoblauch did last fall) so as not to have the distraction of being on an expiring deal next year.

These are coaches whose current deals expire after the 2026-27 season:

Joel Quenneville, Anaheim Ducks: It’s easy to forget that Quenneville only signed a two-year deal last offseason. Things have gone as well as hoped for this season, with the young Ducks taking that next step. The playoffs await. The only thing to point out here is that Quenneville turns 68 in September, so any extension, one would imagine, would be short-term.

Jared Bednar, Colorado Avalanche: Man, time flies. This is Bednar’s 10th season behind the Avs bench. A Stanley Cup champion in 2022, there were questions about the coach after a first-round loss to Dallas last spring. But there weren’t any questions in the front office, which firmly believes in him.

“Jared’s a great coach,” Avs GM Chris MacFarland told The Athletic earlier this season. “We don’t spend any time thinking about that. He has the support of the guys. We know it’s a result-driven business, but he’s hard-working, he’s prepared, he’s a quality person, and I think he has the respect of everybody. I know he does with ownership and myself and Joe (Sakic). But forget that — he’s got the respect of our players, which is crucial.”

Short of a first-round exit, all signs point to another extension for one of the league’s top coaches.

John Hynes, Minnesota Wild: Hynes is in Year 2 of a three-year contract. He’s in pretty darn good shape to get an extension at some point. I can pretty much guarantee that. The Wild under him have ascended as Cup contenders, aided by his GM’s additions. There’s a very tough first-round playoff matchup that awaits, likely with Dallas, but unless it’s a sweep, I would find it hard to pin a loss on the coach. And of course, the Wild may win.

Martin St. Louis, Montreal Canadiens: It could be back-to-back playoff appearances for the youngest team in the league, which is a reflection of the way St. Louis develops young players, particularly on the offensive side of the puck. Improvement is needed on the structure on the defensive side, but again, it’s a young team. It’s been a pretty good report card for St. Louis behind the bench. Perhaps St. Louis needs to be harder on players at times, too. I can’t imagine the Canadiens would want the coach entering next season on an expiring deal, though.

Andrew Brunette, Nashville Predators: Brunette has an option in his contract for the 2027-28 season, but as far as iron-clad years in his deal, next season is the last. The Predators need to hire a new GM at some point. That person will inherit Brunette and need to make a decision. But this late-season playoff push with a retooling team can only help Brunette’s case.

Ryan Warsofsky, San Jose Sharks: Warsofsky is wrapping up Year 2 of a three-year deal. The Sharks are on the rise. The more important tell will be how GM Mike Grier feels the young core is developing under his coach. Will Grier feel Warsofsky is the man to bring this young team to the next step in its development? I’m guessing yes. Also, I don’t think anyone in the San Jose market will make it a big deal if the coach enters the season on an expiring contract, so management has time on its side. The Sharks can let next season play out a little if they choose to before deciding on an extension.

Andre Tourigny, Utah Mammoth: Tourigny’s in his fifth season with the organization and Year 2 of a three-year extension. The Mammoth are looking like they’ll make the playoffs for the first time in their second season. As the Arizona Coyotes, the team hadn’t made the playoffs since the wonky COVID-19 bubble in 2020 and in a normal season since making the conference final in 2012. So it’s been a long journey between a painstaking rebuild and the drama of being rescued by owner Ryan Smith and moved to Salt Lake City. Tourigny followed the team in that move and has overseen its improved play. I was a bit worried for him earlier this season when the Mammoth slumped for a while, just because there’s so much pressure on that franchise to make the postseason. But he survived that. Let’s see what the playoffs bring.

Bruce Cassidy, Vegas Golden Knights: Cassidy’s five-year deal expires after next season. He’s already the longest-serving head coach in franchise history — Gerard Gallant lasted two and a half years, and Pete DeBoer just over two years — and guided the Golden Knights to a Stanley Cup championship in 2023, but Vegas has struggled to find a consistent footing in the second half of this season. Injuries are a part of that, of course. And the Knights are likely still playoff-bound in the mediocre Pacific Division. But I would have concerns. I don’t have any intel here as Vegas management keeps things close to the vest. But a first-round playoff exit would probably at least invite a conversation about a coaching change.

Spencer Carbery, Washington Capitals: Carbery is wrapping up Year 3 of a four-year deal — and went from Jack Adams Award winner last season to likely missing the playoffs this season. Such is life in the parity-filled NHL. But my understanding is that Carbery is still 100 percent management’s guy, as he should be.

Scott Arniel, Winnipeg Jets: From President’s Trophy to likely missing the playoffs, that’s a rough fall. Arniel is wrapping up Year 2 of a three-year deal. I think the Jets will look at every aspect of the organization after the season in a detailed postmortem. But at the moment, if I had to guess, I think they still see Arniel as more part of the solution than the problem.

And finally …

I didn’t mention any head coaches who have term past next season. But obviously, there could be changes elsewhere despite coaches’ contract security.

Let’s see what the fallout is for the Toronto Maple Leafs, for example, with Craig Berube signed through the 2027-28 season. The first decision with the Leafs will concern the future of GM Brad Treliving, who has one year left on his deal. It’s fair to say that all bets are off in Toronto after a massively disappointing season. It should be pointed out, though, that Berube has a very solid relationship with MLSE CEO Keith Pelley.

Then there’s the Edmonton Oilers, having a widely disappointing season, with their top players not exactly hiding their feelings on it. Knoblauch signed a three-year extension on Oct. 3, which carries through the 2028-29 season. He’s the same coach who guided the Oilers to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals, so I’m not sure he got dumb overnight. But there is some obvious discontent, and who knows what the fallout of a first-round playoff exit might be. Then again, the Oilers could surprise everyone with another deep run. Stranger things have happened.

As always, there are other potential situations that could arise, whether it’s because of what happens in the playoffs or because a coach suddenly becomes available. DeBoer remains a free agent. He most likely won’t be when the puck drops next season.