Heading into the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Dallas Stars looked to make it four straight postseason runs of getting to, at least, the Western Conference Finals.
In his first season behind the Dallas bench, Glen Gulutzan helped the Stars to a second-place finish in the Central Division, with Stanley Cup aspirations, per usual.
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But their dreams didn’t become reality. Their dreams turned into nightmares as they were sent packing by the Minnesota Wild in the first round after six games:
While the roster had a few differences from the previous season, as all rosters do, one big piece was missing from that team.
And that’s now New York Islanders head coach Pete DeBoer, who was the person who led the Stars to the Western Conference Finals in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
The longtime bench boss was relieved of his Dallas duties following the decision to pull his No. 1 netminder, Jake Oettinger, early in Game 5 of their must-win 2025 Western Conference Finals game after the American goaltender allowed two goals on the first two shots he faced.
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Casey DeSmith relieved him, allowing three goals on 20 shots in a 6-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers.
It was a move that DeBoer had no reservations about, as he was trying to spark his group. It was just a move that ultimately didn’t work, and he lost his job over it.
Now, DeBoer has a lot of work to do on Long Island to get his new team in a position to play like Stanley Cup contenders, with general manager Mathieu Darche needing to give him a roster that is capable.
The Islanders have missed the playoffs the last two seasons. The goal for 2026-27 is to ensure Matthew Schaefer is playing playoff games this time next season.
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