After an extensive search involving multiple interviews, it appears as though Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford has settled on his ideal candidate to take over the reins as the team's head coach.

Rutherford has narrowed his search for a new coach to one finalist, according to Shelly Anderson of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

Rutherford indicated that he has some further vetting to do – “Just checking out a few things,” he said -- and that no formal offer has been extended but that a hire could be made in the next two or three days. “All eight guys I talked to did a good job” in the interviews, Rutherford said. “There are a few guys that I could have selected, but this one person is a guy with great character and leadership qualities. He’s very well prepared. “He should be the kind of guy that can do some of the things I talked about [June 6 when I was hired]: more puck possession going into the offensive zone and making adjustments. It’s something he’s done very well during his coaching career, making adjustments at certain times.”

The field of candidates believed to have been interviewed for Pittsburgh's head coaching positions includes Penguins minor-league coach John Hynes, New York Rangers assistant and former Penguins defenseman Ulf Samuelsson, Dallas Stars minor-league coach Willie Desjardins, Detroit assistants Bill Peters and Tom Renney, and former NHL coaches Ron Wilson and Marc Crawford.

Earlier on Thursday, Darren Dreger of TSN reported Desjardins may have a choice to make between the Penguins and Vancouver Canucks' vacant head coaching positions.

Former NHL coach and general manager Doug MacLean revealed Thursday on the FAN590's Hockey Central that he interviewed with Rutherford about the job, but followed that up by saying he is not a finalist.