Dallas Stars Head Coach Glen Gulutzan Faces Pressure Entering New NHL Season

New Dallas Stars head coach Glen Gulutzan is inheriting a team with a high talent level and high expectations. The Stars have made it to the Western Conference Finals three years in a row, yet have a head coach in his first year of coaching. With the third round in mind, the Dallas fan base is expecting a deep playoff run again this year. Those high expectations immediately put pressure on Gulutzan, who is going to have to deal with that this season, along with being a first-year coach.

Could This Season Be A One Done For Gulutzan?

If the Dallas Stars somehow miss the playoffs or suffer a second-round loss, there’s a good chance that it could be Gulutzan’s only season behind the bench for them. This isn’t a team that is looking to mess around anymore. One of the main reasons the Stars fired Peter Deboer was his inability to get past the third round, which is still a hard reason to fire a coach.

Every new coach means a new system, and the Dallas Stars are going to have to adjust to that. What if the system fails? What if the players take longer to adjust to a new head coach and it ends up costing them a playoff spot? Although very unlikely given the team out on the ice, these are the questions that need to be asked. Are they going to operate with compassion with the new head coach, or be aggressive and unforgiving for bad results like they were with Pete Deboer? 

Last Thoughts

The Dallas Stars are not an inexperienced team, so the adjustment might not be hard. The adjustment for the head coach could be an issue, but the good thing for Gulutzan is the level of talent he’s inheriting with this team. Sometimes, a talented team can cover up deficiencies in coaching.