Why Glen Gulutzan might be the NHL's luckiest new head coach
Photo credit: Fox 4 News Dallas Forth Worth
With names like Jason Robertson, Mikko Rantanen, and Miro Heiskanen, Glen Gulutzan inherits a Dallas Stars roster that's built to win now
After years serving as an assistant coach across the league, Glen Gulutzan is back in the spotlight, and this time, he might be walking into the best situation any NHL coach could ask for.
The Dallas Stars, who re-signed veterans Matt Duchene and Jamie Benn, already had a forward group stacked with elite talent.
Add in Mikko Rantanen, Roope Hintz, Wyatt Johnston, and Jason Robertson, and Gulutzan suddenly has one of the deepest top-six lineups in the NHL.
As Natalie Vaitas wrote at YardBarker, this might truly be the most offensively loaded team in the league.
But the power doesn't stop at forward.
With Heiskanen, Harley, and Oettinger, Gulutzan's Stars are built from the back out
The Stars' defensive core remains one of the league's most balanced.
Miro Heiskanen continues to anchor the blue line with elite mobility and poise, while Thomas Harley, now 23, is coming off a breakout campaign and looks ready to take on even more responsibility.
Between the pipes, Jake Oettinger is still the guy, and with strong international play, he's in the conversation to start for Team USA at the 2026 Olympics.
What sets Gulutzan's challenge apart isn't rebuilding or reshaping a team.
It's winning right now.
With this much talent across every position, expectations in Dallas will be sky-high from Day 1. The fans, the front office, and the players all know it.
Personally, I think Gulutzan has been given every possible tool - now it's up to him to prove he's the right man for the job.
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