I chatted with new Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill earlier today, and we talked about the possibility of Texas Stars head coach Willie Desjardins filling the vacancy behind the bench for the NHL club.

Nill said Desjardins will have an interview for the opening after the AHL playoffs end for Texas, and you can read the whole story here: http://www.statesman.com/news/news/local/texas-stars-coach-willie-desjardins-a-candidate-fo/nXr72/

No matter whom the Stars hire as the next coach, Nill hasn’t set a timeline for making the decision.

“Right now there’s no deadline, especially since there are still games going on in Europe and North America,” Nill said. “Once a season ends you start to evaluate and evolve the organization … because the nature of the beast in this league is there is always change.”

Nill said he plans to conduct one-on-one interviews at first and then add more members of the management team to the interview committee once the field narrows. During the interview process Nill said he’s hoping for the “right fit” to emerge for the players and the franchise.

While Nill is new to the Dallas organization, he said he’s kept an eye on the franchise – as well as the rest of the NHL’s Western Conference – during his time with the Detroit Red Wings.

“We kept track of every team, both the NHL and their full system,” Nill said. “You look at their prospects and what assets a team has for trades and other moves. So I’ve kept a close eye on Dallas and what they’ve done (in Cedar Park) the past couple years.”

Since Nill has joined the Dallas organization he’s watched the Texas Stars play “five or six” times and plans to attend tomorrow night’s Game 5 against the Oklahoma City Barons. During that time he hasn’t spoken to Desjardins about the opening in Dallas.

“We’ll wait till the playoffs are over, I don’t want any distractions and I know he doesn’t want any distractions right now,” Nill said. “Right now he’s focused on the team and winning a Calder Cup, and that’s how it should be.”

Nill said he also plans to attend Game 6 and 7, if necessary, at the Cedar Park Center next week.

Dallas another “great sports city” for Nill

In addition to making an adjustment to the Stars organization, Nill is also making the transition from living in Michigan to Texas, something him and I talked about when he saw I still have a 248 area code.

248 is the area code for suburban Detroit. Nill lived in Novi, Mich. while with the Red Wings, the next town over from where my family lives in Farmington Hills.

“It’s been great, Texas is a bit different, but Dallas like a Detroit is a great sports city,” Nill said.

Allen possibly replacing Idaho as ECHL affiliate?

One thing Nill said he likes about the Dallas franchise is how the AHL affiliate is in the same state and within driving distance for both scouting and injury call-up purposes, similar to the setup Detroit has with Grand Rapids.

With that in mind, it wouldn’t surprise me if the Allen Americans become the Stars new ECHL affiliate and replace the Idaho Steelheads if, or when, Allen leaves the CHL.

In Detroit, Nill had AHL-affiliate Grand Rapids two hours away and the ECHL affiliate — the Toledo Walleye — even closer, just an hour south. He doesn’t hold all the cards and Allen has to officially move to the ECHL first, but I’m willing bet Nill would love to set up an I-35 pipeline between Dallas’ minor league teams.