Could Pete DeBoer be the Next One To Be Fired?
Dave Pagnotta and Dennis Bernstein of the Fourth Period joined Steve Kouleas on Sirius XM NHL Network Radio. Pagnotta was asked about the situation with the Dallas Stars and head coach Pete DeBoer and if he could be let go by the team.
NHLRumors.com Transcriptions
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Steve Kouleas: “Okay, so I’m opening up your notebook. I’ll hand it to you. What’s going on in Dallas? Is there smoke or fire?”
Dave Pagnotta: “We’ll see about the last part of that. There’s definitely smoke. As reported yesterday, a lot of the players on the Dallas Stars, even though they said the right things during their exit interviews with the media, internally, different tune. They were not happy with how Pete DeBoer handled himself and his team during the Western Conference Final. There were a lot of stuff behind the scenes, behind closed doors, that that they were, they were, they weren’t happy with. They were, they were a little pissed off about.”
Kouleas: “Wait a minute, are you saying it’s time for a change in Dallas? Are the players asking for change?”
Pagnotta: “There might be, I think the players would not object to a change behind the bench. Pete DeBoer, one year left on his contract. It’s my understanding, a serious consideration now within management to that they may make a change behind the bench.”
Kouleas: “Wow. So that would mean what Peter DeBoer, is it too late to go to Boston or Pittsburgh. I don’t see one there. But then, who’s gonna go to Dallas? Then?”
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Pagnotta: “Yeah, well, and then that’s gonna be the thing. Like, Dallas is presumably right there. This is, we’re talking about these teams, three in a row, the Stanley Cup Final.”
Kouleas: “Dallas is going to be back we would assume. They do have some cap issues with (Jamie) Benn and (Matt) Duchene.”
Pagnotta: “About $5 million in space. They’re going to look to free up a little bit of money. You’ll hear Mason Marchment’s name out there. He’s just under $5 million. But three appearances in Western Conference Final in a row. Like there are a couple pieces away from just getting over that hump you would imagine. So the type of coach you’re looking at is probably a veteran experience past winning type coach, is my guess. So you look at what is out there.”
Dennis Bernstein: “(Joel) Quenneville’s in Anaheim, who else is out there?”
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Pagnotta: “(Peter) Laviolette maybe.”
Bernstein: “Okay, back in the day, his recent resume isn’t any better than Pete DeBoer’s.”
Pagnotta: “I don’t see the Dallas Stars, if they do make a change behind the bench guys, I don’t see them going for a young coach, or a hot assistant or somebody, right? I think they’re gonna go with somebody who has experience. So is it. And you look at the guys available out there, and I’m just rifling them off because I’m not saying they’re going to be tied to it, but there is Laviolette. There’s (John Tortorella) Torts. (Gerard) Gallant. (Jay) Woodcroft.”
NHLRumors.com Note: This is an interesting situation in Dallas with the Stars involving Pete DeBoer. There has been success with DeBoer, but as we have seen in his stops with the Panthers in Florida, the Devils in New Jersey, the Sharks in San Jose, and the Golden Knights in Vegas, there is a point where the message falls on deaf ears. It is all well and good that he has a 9-0 record in Game 7, but the fact is, he can take a team only so far because his record in the conference final is 2-6. That isn’t good. Not to mention 0-2 in the Stanley Cup Final.
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Yes, DeBoer wins, but there were questions at the time of his hiring if this was the right fit for the Dallas Stars. Now, the issues with Jake Oettinger, who is signed for another eight years. Under pressure and the bright lights of the playoffs, he makes questionable coaching decisions that come back to hurt his team. Something is brewing when you hear multiple players discussing the coach and their fit with the team.
It will be interesting to see what GM Jim Nill does, as DeBoer has one year left on his deal. Again, making a change this late is not ideal, but it worked out well for the Vegas Golden Knights, who hired Bruce Cassidy on June 14, 2022, after the Boston Bruins fired him on June 6, 2022. He went on to win a Stanley Cup. If DeBoer does get fired maybe he lands somewhere else and finally gets over the hump.
While it usually isn’t the case, coaches can get fired this late in the game. Maybe Pete DeBoer will be next in Dallas.
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