This offseason the Dallas Stars will not only be in the market to add to their roster, but will also be looking to fill their vacant head position. Dallas parted ways with longtime coach Pete DeBoer after the Stars were knocked out in the Western Conference Final for the third straight year. There will be a number of names in the running to be the top authority behind the bench, but one name the Stars should move on from is that of veteran head coach Peter Laviolette.
Stars Forward Could Play Bigger Role Next Season
The <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars/">Dallas Stars</a> willing be looking outward this offseason to plug some of the holes in their roster that were exposed during the Western Conference Final. Just about everyone with eyes saw how outclassed and far from being a contender they were as the Edmonton Oilers sent them on vacation for the second straight year. While General Manger Jim Nill and company will be looking at potential pieces to bring in, they should be looking at who can they can bring to the NHL level from AHL-affiliate Texas Stars.
Peter Laviolette is a 23-year veteran with over 1,000 games coached and 846 wins. On his prestigious coaching resume is a Stanley Cup win in 2005 in Carolina, along with two other final appearances with the Flyers and Predators. While his past work leading teams merits another opportunity following an unsuccessful stint with the New York Rangers, it doesn't necessarily make a good match for the Stars. The Stars will be looking for a coach who can bring a fast-paced style, while preaching discipline meshed with physicality. Those aspects are something Dallas has lacked in recent seasons. The Stars will look to find a coach who can development young talent while at the same time continue to contend for a cup.
Bright Future Ahead After Texas Stars Season Comes to an End
The Texas Stars walked the same path as their parent team, the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars">Dallas Stars</a><a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars"></a>, and their season concluded in the Western Conference Final of the Calder Cup playoffs.
With Laviolette not being a fit for the Stars, the free-agent benchminder will surely be hired by another NHL team in the near future. One candidate for the coaching job is Texas Stars coach Neil Graham. The AHL affiliate coach has taken his team to the Calder Cup Playoffs in four of the five seasons while at the helm. Graham is more familiar than most with how to tap into the abilities of the players that have jumped back and forth between Dallas and Cedar Park.
The search for the Stars' next head coach will surely amp up in the coming weeks as the Stanley Cup Final winds down, and the NHL offseason begins.
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