On the Dallas Stars …
Andy Strickland: Lindy Ruff won’t be returning as the Stars head coach. Word is that Ruff turned down a contract extension from the Stars several months ago.
Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News: Lindy Ruff’s four-year contract expires after this season and he won’t be offered an extension. The Stars will start their head coaching search immediately. Three candidates the Stars could consider.
Ken Hitchcock: He coached the Stars before. Some think he could retire from coaching. Would bring a defensive structure the team as lacked. Might take a short-term contract.
Gerard Gallant: Gallant and GM Jim Nill played together in Detroit. Has a 152-141-35 coaching record with the Panthers and Blue Jackets.
Kirk Muller: Would have to get permission from the Canadiens as he’s their associate coach. Has been tied to Vegas as a potential candidate there.
On the Winnipeg Jets …
Ted Wyman of the Winnipeg Sun: Defenseman Jacob Trouba missed the first 15 games of the season due to a contract dispute with the Jets. Trouba said yesterday that he doesn’t have a problem with Winnipeg and noted that it’s a “mutual thing” if he stays in Winnipeg. He was asked if he’d consider signing a long-term contract extension this offseason.
“That’s something I’ll talk about with Kurt and with management, but I still have another year and I’m back in the same (restricted free agent) spot,” Trouba said. “It’s not a super pressing issue. I’ve just got to play out next year and see where it goes.”
Forward Mathieu Perreault signed a four-year contract last offseason and could be a candidate to be exposed in the expansion draft. Perreault had a slow start to the season but finished with 13 goals and 45 points in 65 games.
“I asked them,” Perreault said. “They gave me the answer I wanted to hear. They said they’ll try to do everything they can to protect me. But nothing is certain so I don’t really know what’s going to happen.
“If you would have asked me (about the expansion draft) two months ago I probably would have had a different answer. I feel like I probably wouldn’t have been protected really, given the (four-year) contract and how I was producing.”