Is Gulutzan a smart hockey mind? Yes. Does he excel at the Xs and Os? I think so. Would I like him as an assistant coach, as part of the organization? Definitely.
But a head coach is more than those things. A head coach defines the team and personifies it. Ahead coach creates the character of the team. So let's look a little closer:
Do the Flames out work the opposition (overall)? I don't think so
Do they out hit, or physically dominate? No
Do they out-skate the opposition? Occasionally. And they aren't the fastest team, but they aren't the slowest either. And with the speed and talent of their D, I think they could out-skate the opposition a lot more, if they activated the D more.
Are they tactically dominant? Not often enough to say yes with any certainty
Are they more offensively creative? Definitely at times. But sometimes they look like they couldn't care less. IMO, there is more talent on the roster than there is creativity being demonstrated, relative to that talent level.
What is this team? What is their identity? For me, there is no team character.
I think there is plenty of talent. But I look up and down the roster and who is really excelling or blossoming under Gulutzan? Backlund? Maybe. Tkachuk? Definitely, but I think he is a star no matter who the coach is. Anyone else?
What about players that seem to be regressing under Gulutzan? Bennett obviously. Hamilton I don't know what to make of. Jankowski? Too early to tell, but we certainly cannot say that he came in and blossomed under Gulutzan. Same for Lazar. Same for Hamonic.
It's not that I dislike Gulutzan. He seems like a great hockey mind and a great guy. I am just having a hard time seeing what he is actually ACCOMPLISHING with a roster that in my opinion is laden with talent and potential.
It seems to me that Gulutzan coaches not to lose, instead of coaching to instill their own will. It seems to me that he has the team in a reactionary mindset instead of an aggressive mindset.
IMO, he is a coach for a young, rebuilding team that is learning the game. But he is not a coach for a team that needs to impose its will on other teams and take the next step towards dominance.
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