The Dallas Stars have made a HUGE gamble...Will it pay off?

But every time, the same story played out: a trip to the Western Conference Final, then a crushing elimination before reaching the Stanley Cup Final.

For a fanbase starving for more, regular-season dominance isn't enough anymore. The window feels wide open, and the franchise knows it.

That's why the front office made its biggest gamble yet, cutting ties with Pete DeBoer despite three straight strong seasons. In his place steps Glen Gulutzan, a coach who hasn't been an NHL bench boss since 2017 but carries playoff lessons from Edmonton, where he helped guide the Oilers through back-to-back Finals as an assistant.

It's a bold swing. As one analyst put it,

The Stars already have the foundation: Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz, Miro Heiskanen, and Jake Oettinger headline a roster built to win now. Gulutzan doesn't need to reinvent the group, but he does need to squeeze out that last inch of greatness that has eluded Dallas.

The challenge is pressure. Another regular-season crown won't silence critics. What matters is what happens in May and June. I think if Dallas falls short again, the noise around the organization will grow louder than ever.

As NHL.com notes, the Stars' depth and firepower put them right back near the top of the contenders' list, but only results in the spring will define Gulutzan's tenure.

For Dallas, the margin between success and disappointment has never been thinner. And the gamble on Gulutzan might just be the swing that finally delivers a parade.