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There were quite a few rumblings during the latter stages of the Dallas Stars playoff run that Peter DeBoer needed to direct his team to the Stanley Cup — or at least a spot in the Finals — if he was going to remain as the team's bench boss. That did not happen, as the Stars lost to the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference Finals in five games.
General manager Jim Nill made the decisive move in firing DeBoer after the Stars lost in the same round for the third straight year. DeBoer and the Stars had a very memorable seven-game triumph over the Colorado Avalanche in the first round and bounced the Winnipeg Jets out of the postseason in the second round, but that was not enough for DeBoer to hold his job.
Now Nill must find a new head coach who is not going to get stopped when his team is on the precipice of getting to the championship series. NHL insider Pierre LeBrun raised the name of former Dallas Star head coach Glen Gulutzan as a potential replacement for DeBoer.
Glen Gulutzan has developed interesting credentials
Gulutzan coached the Stars from 2011 through 2013, but he was a young man at the time and might not have been ready for the position.
Gulutzan has been an assistant coach with the Edmonton Oilers for multiple years, and he has helped turn the Edmonton power play into something of a juggernaut. He has the full endorsement of superstar Connor McDavid.
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“He’s been great with the power play,” McDavid told LeBrun in an interview last year. “Obviously, it speaks for itself, but he’s making sure everybody’s prepared, knows what their role is. He’s great at what he does. He’s a great coach and we’re lucky to have him here.”
Some of the other candidates include former NHL head coaches Kirk Muller and Jay Woodcroft along with current Stars assistant Alain Nasreddine and AHL head coach Neil Graham.
Nill could also decide to go the veteran route, and that might mean yet another opportunity for Peter Laviolette or Gerard Gallant. Both were fired in separate coaching stints with the New York Rangers.
The Stars once again had a solid regular season. They finished in second place in the Central Division of the Western Conference with a 50-26-6 record.
The Stars have a dangerous team and they are led by veteran center Matt Duchene and left wing Jason Robertson. Duchene scored 30 goals and a team-leading 82 points, while Robertson had a team-leading 35 goals and 80 points. Youngster Wyatt Johnston, 21, was right behind with 33 goals and 71 points.
