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Nill wants experienced coach, could make a hire ‘pretty quickly’

2016 NHL Draft - Round One

BUFFALO, NY - JUNE 24: Dallas Stars General Manager Jim Nill is pictured during round one of the 2016 NHL Draft on June 24, 2016 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

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Jim Nill wants an experienced coach who can get the most out of the Dallas Stars.

“This isn’t a rebuild,” Nill told the Dallas Morning News after it was announced Sunday that Lindy Ruff would not be back behind the bench. “I think we’ve got a lot of good pieces in place.”

Nill already has a few names in mind.

“Right now I’ve had three people I’ve been talking to,” he said. “May get expanded here a little bit more. I’m hoping this is going to happen pretty quickly. These guys are all good coaches. This league moves pretty fast. I know there’s other teams looking at things also. I hope that this happens pretty quickly.”

Given Nill’s desire to hire an experienced coach, Ken Hitchcock would seem to be a potential candidate. That being said, Nill also wants a coach who can bring the most out of the Stars’ “skill” players, and Hitchcock’s reputation is built on defense and physical play.

Read more: Who’s going to coach the Stars?

As for the team’s perceived biggest weakness -- goaltending -- Nill did not offer any clarity regarding what might happen this offseason.

“I thought the goaltending early in the season probably kept our head above the water when we had six of our top nine forwards out,” said Nill. “And then they had their moments I think from January on where they were very inconsistent.”

Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi are both signed for one more year.