The Senators likely won't have to conduct a coaching search for their top prospects.

The decision by the Buffalo Sabres to sign coach Dan Bylsma to a five-year deal Thursday means the Senators will likely be able to keep the highly-respected Luke Richardson behind the bench with the club's AHL affiliate in Binghamton next season.

League sources say the Senators have tabled an offer to the 46-year-old former defenceman and while a deal isn't in place it could happen soon now that the Buffalo coaching situation has been settled. It's believed the two sides need to work out the final details of the contract.

If the deal gets completed and he returns, it will be Richardson's fourth straight season behind the Binghamton bench. He has a 122-82-24 record in three years and while they missed the post-season last year he has done an excellent job helping to develop players for Ottawa.

While the Sabres hadn't requested permission from the Senators to speak with Richardson, Buffalo GM Tim Murray may have gone down that road with his former team if the club wasn't able to get Bylsma under contract, especially after losing out on Mike Babcock to Toronto last week.

Though Senators coach Dave Cameron, who is expected to officially sign a two-year contract extension with the club next week, is conducting a search for an assistant, it's unlikely he'd turn to Richardson because the club already has former defenceman Jason Smith on the staff.

Twitter: @sungarrioch