As expected, the Dallas Stars dismissed coach Peter DeBoer Friday morning, ending DeBoer’s time with the Stars after three seasons. DeBoer burned his bridge with star goalie Jake Oettinger in the Western Conference final, making it more likely that Dallas would part ways with the veteran bench boss.
However, longtime observers of the NHL’s coaching community know many coaches with resumes like DeBoer’s aren’t unemployed for very long. There are always teams that are impressed by someone with the pedigree that DeBoer possesses, and his next NHL coaching opportunity may come sooner rather than later.
Where could DeBoer wind up? Let’s look at three teams below and see if there’s a potential fit there.
1. Buffalo Sabres
The Sabres have missed the playoffs for 14 straight seasons, and while you can say many things about DeBoer’s coaching style, you can’t deny that he’s been able to guide teams into the post-season. Indeed, while DeBoer struggled to be a playoff coach in the early part of his NHL career, in nine of his past 10-and-a-half seasons coaching, he has led the Stars, Vegas Golden Knights and San Jose Sharks into the playoffs.
Sabres GM Kevyn Adams is under extraordinary pressure to end his team’s playoff-less streak, so while veteran Lindy Ruff will probably start the season as Buffalo’s coach, we can see a world in which the Sabres stumble out of the gate and turn to DeBoer to salvage their season. Buffalo’s underachieving core may test DeBoer’s patience, but if he were able to turn things around, Sabres fans would more than welcome him, warts and all.
DeBoer may quietly prefer to coach a team that’s a lock to make the playoffs, and that doesn’t describe Buffalo right now. But there are only 32 jobs in the NHL to choose from, and DeBoer might see the Sabres as his last, best chance to get it right. And hockey fans in Western New York would at least get the satisfaction of knowing DeBoer has a wealth of experience to draw from.
2. Nashville Predators
Like the Sabres, the Predators had a brutal 2024-25 season, failing to make the playoffs despite major additions including Jonathan Marchessault and Steven Stamkos. Preds GM Barry Trotz – himself an accomplished coach – can’t do both main management jobs, so giving Nashville’s reins to DeBoer would instill a sense of urgency to an organization that desperately needs it.
Because of the Predators’ subpar 2024-25 season, current Predators coach Andrew Brunette is on a short leash. Trotz is likely to make some notable roster changes this summer, but the pressure Nashville’s coach faces to get the team back into the playoffs is considerable. And Trotz may decide that DeBoer’s long shelf life as an NHL coach makes him a great fit with the Preds.
DeBoer can draw on his ability to squeeze strong play out of his teams to turn the Predators back into a reliable playoff team, and while a change behind the Preds’ bench may not happen until well into next season, DeBoer has the luxury of sitting back and waiting for an opportunity to fall into his lap. And that opportunity definitely could come in Music City.
3. Los Angeles Kings
The Kings have already had tumult since the Edmonton Oilers eliminated them in the first round of this year’s playoffs, parting ways with GM Rob Blake and replacing him with multi-time Stanley Cup-winner Ken Holland. So, right off the hop, you have to wonder if current Kings coach Jim Hiller’s job is in jeopardy. Holland undoubtedly wants his own coach running the Kings, and although Hiller has done well in the regular season, playoff success has eluded him.
DeBoer has experience coaching in California from his four-and-a-half years coaching the Sharks, including the only time he’s reached the Cup final, back in 2015-16. Holland may not want to hand over power to a young coach, because the Kings are a team trying to contend now while transitioning into a new era with their younger players.
The balance that’s needed in L.A. calls for someone who can add structure and instill confidence in their players, and his experience with Oettinger aside, DeBoer has the resume that GMs like Holland will be intrigued with.
The Kings are the longest shot in this group of three potential destinations for DeBoer. But DeBoer’s veteran know-how may ultimately be what makes him the right person for the job in Los Angeles. The Kings need someone who can get them out of the first round, and DeBoer has done exactly that with the Stars. So you have to think he’s a candidate to get the job in L.A. if it becomes available.
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