The Dallas Stars are in the middle of a coaching search after letting Pete DeBoer go after failing to get to the Stanley Cup Finals for three consecutive years. It feels weird to let him go after the success he's had with the Stars, but when you lose the locker room, it's best to move on from him. There aren't many options out there after teams have hired their new head coaches, so the Stars are going to have to get creative, like possibly hiring Neil Graham from their development team down in Cedar Park.
One of the possible names is former Dallas Stars player Steve Ott, who's an assistant coach with Jim Montgomery and the St. Louis Blues. I know the Site Expert for Bleedin' Blue wouldn't like to see an assistant coach become the new face behind the Stars' bench, but it actually might work out for the Stars. He's been one of the most consistent NHL assistant coaches on the rise, and he has ties to the Stars' organization as a former player.
The reason Ott would be a good fit for the Stars is that he would bring a physical strategy to the game similar to what you are seeing in the Stanley Cup Finals with the Florida Panthers. The Stars are lacking that in their game right now, and it could be what's missing from the Stars' game that's keeping them from becoming the Western Conference Champions. I think bringing in someone who brought a lot of physicality and grit to the lineup night after night is what the Stars need right now.
The one thing that concerns me about possibly speaking to Steve Ott is the Blues' potential to extend his contract with a significant raise. I'm sure the Blues want to keep him around their organization in case something with Jim Montgomery happens, but that seems like a stretch after them making the playoffs. They would still be in good hands with Montgomery if the Stars were to select Ott as their next head coach. However, losing him as an assistant coach would be a blow to the Blues.
While Jake Oettinger would have to get over the fact that both of them share the Otter nickname, the physicality that Ott could bring to the Stars is worth having two Otters in the locker room. He would make the Stars more physical, and that's what could send the Stars to the Stanley Cup Finals next season. While I don't think that the Stars will hire Ott because of what Graham has been able to accomplish with the Texas Stars, it's not a bad backup option.