Sports and sports media are funny industries. News is fast and furious, with storylines and narratives changing day by day. Something can happen on Tuesday, and by Thursday morning, it’s old news. All of that has certainly been the case since the Dallas Stars were eliminated in five games in the Western Conference Final against the Edmonton Oilers.
Early last week, I started working on an article based on the idea that major changes to the Stars aren’t needed for them to get over the hump next year and finally make the Stanley Cup Final. Then, rumors started circulating that Jason Robertson could be on the move. Next, reports were coming out that many players were not happy with how coach Pete DeBoer handled the Jake Oettinger debacle in Game 5, as well as the whole series. Then, there was the conversation around the free-agents-to-be, such as captain Jamie Benn, Matt Duchene, Evgenii Dadonov, and Mikael Granlund, and what their future with the Stars will look like.
Related: Stars Send Clear Message with DeBoer Firing, & More NHL Rumors
Well, as I was crafting this beautiful masterpiece, Stars’ general manager Jim Nill announced on Friday that DeBoer has been relieved of his duties and will not be back for the 2025-26 season. As major changes go, this may be the biggest, but also one of the least surprising.
Now that we know that the Stars are looking for a new coach, let’s get into the crazy week for the team and what it means heading into the rest of the summer.
Pete DeBoer Sealed His Own Fate
The day after the Stars were eliminated, Stars’ owner Tom Gaglardi said that his team would not fire DeBoer, and waxed poetic about how good of a coach he is. Exactly one week later, that statement proved false. Was he just pouring cold water on a potential inferno, or was he being genuine? It’s hard to know exactly, but if he was being genuine, it’s reasonable to assume that what happened over the course of the weekend sealed DeBoer’s fate.
Directly after Game 5, DeBoer approached the post-game press conference ready to defend his decision to pull Oettinger, and was fully loaded with the stats to back it up, referencing Oettinger’s play against the Oilers in last year’s conference final.
“The reality is, if you go back to last year’s playoffs, he’s lost six of seven games to Edmonton and we gave up two goals on two shots in an elimination game,” DeBoer said after Game 5.
In his end-of-season presser two days later, he doubled down on his position and included the anecdote that he had yet to speak to his star goaltender. It feels like that was the nail in the coffin for DeBoer.
In listening to different podcasts, and reading many articles, not to mention watching the game and having my own thoughts, I have heard plenty of differing opinions on DeBoer pulling Oettinger after allowing two goals on two shots in Game 5, and I can see both perspectives. Pulling him is one thing, but to throw your goaltender under the bus, double down on it, and then admit that 48 hours later you haven’t said one word to him is a whole other issue.
Rumors were swirling all week, and Nill all but confirmed on Friday that several players expressed displeasure with how DeBoer handled the situation.
“I have no problem with the pull of (Oettinger). If you’re coaching and you just let two goals in, you have to change the momentum,” Nill said of DeBoer’s decision. “I think everybody (had problems with the comments after). I think even Pete was remorseful of it a little bit. I don’t think he handled that the way he wanted to.”
DeBoer is an exceptional coach, and it’s really unfortunate that his tenure in Dallas ended in such a dramatic fashion. DeBoer was 149-68-29 in three years with the Stars, and had the best points percentage in the NHL during that stretch. He won the third-most playoff games in those three years and took the Stars to three straight Western Conference Finals. But, as was the case in his previous stops, his voice started to fall on deaf ears, and they needed a change.
“Pete’s going to win a Cup, unfortunately, it won’t be here,” Nill said.
Should the Stars Really Trade Jason Robertson?
As if the winds of potential change weren’t blowing hard enough, NHL insider Jeff Marek, from the Daily Faceoff, suggested last week that the Stars could move on from Robertson. This move could create cap space that would allow the Stars to take a serious run at signing Mitch Marner, who becomes a free agent on July 1. Marner is set for a massive pay day, and if they traded for his rights, they would be the only team that could negotiate with him before July 1. Now, Marner is an exceptional player, and it would certainly be an upgrade from Robertson, but I’m not convinced it’s really necessary.
First off, I know things are negative right now, but the Stars are a really, really good hockey team. A lot of people in the media are talking about the Stars as if they’re only a “regular season” team, and not a team built for the playoffs. They were certainly exposed by the Oilers, and for two years in a row, but this team has been to three straight conference finals. Three. That’s hard to do if you’re just a team built for the regular season.
That being said, the Stars are missing something that is keeping them from getting over the hump, but it’s not what Marner brings. They have quite a bit of that. Marner is special, not just because of his terrific numbers year after year, but because he can play 5-on-5, on the power play, and on the penalty kill, and all of them at an elite level. Still, that doesn’t mean they should bring in another skilled player with another big price tag.
Secondly, if we’re talking about playoffs, they have historically been the same player, points-wise, with Robertson clocking in at about 0.8 points per game and Marner at 0.9. To be more specific, in 56 playoff games, Robertson has 18 goals and 44 points. Marner has 13 goals and 63 points in 70 playoff games. I’m not disputing that Marner is a better player than Robertson, because he is. All I’m saying is that this Stars team has made it to the final four in three straight years. If you’re looking for something different, this isn’t enough of a difference, in my opinion.
What they are missing are players that will make you think twice before hacking and wacking their best players. We saw that against the Oilers, when Darnell Nurse broke Roope Hintz’s foot, and then a few games later, when Evan Bouchard hacked at that same foot. Not one player came to defend their best center and a leader on the team.
Immediately, players like Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand from the Florida Panthers come to mind, who are both free agents this summer. The Panthers are full of players who will pants you in the middle of the street, take your milk money, and not even think twice about it. When it comes to talent, the Stars are good enough to win a Stanley Cup, but it’s the lack of those kinds of players that makes them beatable as they inch closer to the Stanley Cup Final. If they do part ways with Robertson, it should be to make way for players like that.
Where Do the Stars Go From Here?
Well, first off, they need to find a new bench boss. Clearly. There’s been lots of discussion surrounding the head coach of their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Texas Stars, Neil Graham. Graham is in his sixth season as head coach for Texas and has been more than successful, frequently making it to the playoffs and winning the division. He’s also familiar with many players who have made their way up the system and currently play for the big club.
Alain Nasreddine is an assistant coach for Dallas and is primarily in charge of the defense and penalty kill. He’s another guy who is familiar with the team and could be a strong option. Or maybe they go to familiar faces like John Tortorella or Peter Laviolette.
Related: 2025 Stanley Cup Final Hub
We’ll talk more about this in the future, but it’s a fair debate to have. Should the Stars keep the hire internal, or is the right guy for the job outside of the organization? Does a team in their Stanley Cup window need a grizzled veteran behind the bench, or should they take a shot at someone who’s looking for their first head coaching job in the NHL? Only time will tell.
As far as Robertson and other roster decisions, it’s bound to be a very interesting summer, to say the least. According to PuckPedia, the Stars have $4.96 million in cap space available for the 2025-26 season, so in order to make some substantial offseason additions, they will likely need to move somebody of note, like Robertson. For financial reasons alone, it seems plausible, but as far as the player itself, I’m not sure it’s recommended.
We’ll talk more about this in the future as well, after all, we have all summer. Get your popcorn ready, because it’s going to be a wild ride, regardless of who is on the move and who is behind the bench.
