Glen Gulutzan's return to Dallas Stars as head coach creates huge void on Edmonton Oilers' bench
Glen Gulutzan is set to return to the Dallas Stars as head coach. Glen Gulutzan, the mastermind of the Edmonton Oilers' dynastic power play and go-to guru for superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, is leaving after seven notable seasons in the Edmonton Oilers.
With a reported multi-year contract on the horizon, his departure is both a new chance for the Dallas Stars and a major test for the Edmonton Oilers' coaching staff.
Glen Gulutzan's return to the
NHL
as head coach highlights growth and unfinished business
Glen Gulutzan's return to the Dallas Stars, where he initially stepped into the NHL head coaching ranks more than a decade ago, is a full-circle experience.
'I think Gully had a tremendous rapport with McDavid and Draisaitl,' said long-time colleague Perry Pearn.
"Connor and Leon respected him. He learned some things about the power play from them, but they learned some things from Gully too. There was that mutual respect. 'There was also a level of comfort that if things weren't going well, Gully would figure out a way to change things. That's one of his strong points…his ability to work with the top players, to get them onside, to get a buy-in.
He got the top guys to buy in, so it was easy for the other guys."
by Taboola
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Over the past five regular seasons, the Oilers' power play led the NHL with an average success rate of 27.4%, peaking at 32.4% in 2022-23. Glen Gulutzan's departure now forces Edmonton to rethink its offensive blueprint, particularly in man-advantage situations.
Glen Gulutzan Expected To Be Dallas Stars Next Head Coach | DLLS Stars Emergency Pod
Replacing a man with Gulutzan's institutional acumen and profound trust won't be simple for the Edmonton Oilers. In addition to operating the league's most intimidating power play, he provided flexibility and a consistent voice in the locker room.
Assistant coaches Paul Coffey, Mark Stuart, and goaltending coach Dustin Schwartz similarly have their futures in doubt, with expiring deals and no extensions revealed to this point.
'If you look, some of the best coaches in the league, most of them had a first-time stint somewhere and in a lot of cases it wasn't a long one…Jacques Martin, Joel Quenneville, Claude Julien, Tom Renney. It's a big learning curve to get everything right in the NHL as a head coach,' Pearn added.
Internally, the Oilers could try to promote a familiar face or bring in an outside candidate with a power-play resume. In either case, whoever replaces him will have high expectations, with a window of contention still very much open for Edmonton.
Also read:
NHL free agency gets hotter as $7.5 million salary cap surge fuels wild bidding wars
Glen Gulutzan's return to the Dallas Stars as head coach leaves a leadership deficit on the Oilers bench as well. With coaching dominoes still falling throughout the NHL, both organizations will be tested by how effectively they manage these critical transitions.
Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
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