No, Jim Nill is not going to jump out of the driver's seat as GM to become the next head coach of the Dallas Stars. Jim Nill is better suited for the GM position due to his ability to negotiate trades for players like Mikko Rantanen. The reason there's a picture of Jim Nill instead of this front-runner for the Dallas Stars coaching vacancy is that none of our image databases have a photo of him. Even though there's no photo of him, he's one smart cookie who could be the next head coach of your Dallas Stars.
Have you ever wondered what goes on in the minor league system during the season? The Dallas Stars have another coaching staff down in Cedar Park that works with the prospects who are so close to making the Dallas Stars roster. Players like Thomas Harley and Jake Oettinger have been developed in the AHL and are the reason they are all-stars today. Well, it might be time to promote the big brain behind all the development madness down there, Neil Graham, to the Dallas Stars head coaching position.
Graham is one of the best up-and-coming coaches no one seems to be talking about. He's developed a lot of your favorite players who are currently on the Dallas Stars roster. It would be so easy with the current assistant coaching staff staying on for another year to promote Graham to head coach instead of bringing in an outsider and creating a coaching staff kerfuffle that could raise issues in the locker room? Graham has worked with the assistant coaches before, so it feels like a "home run" just to promote from within and get ready for the fall.
The one thing that would be a con for hiring Graham is that he has no head coaching experience at the NHL Level. With the Stars in contention for the Stanley Cup, it would be a huge gamble to bring in an inexperienced coach at the helm of this team. However, I would be comfortable with it since he's developed a lot of the guys on the roster, and he knows how they play hockey. The Veterans could help Graham stay on track during the season.
In conclusion, Neil Graham would be the perfect in-house candidate for the next Dallas Stars head coach. His ability to develop players into superstars is what the team needs to compete for the Stanley Cup. He's able to create players like Matej Blumel into a powerhouse player. Just imagine what he would be able to do with Roope Hintz and Mikko Rantanen. Imagine how much he could improve their ability to play hockey. Graham could be a rookie head coach who wins the Stanley Cup.