The Minnesota Wild made a significant decision on Monday, choosing to fire coach Dean Evason due to the team’s disastrous start to the season. With a record of 5-10-4 and caught in a seven-game winless streak, the Wild saw the need for a change in leadership. In his place, John Hynes, who has previously coached the Nashville Predators and the New Jersey Devils, will take over as coach.
Struggles and Inconsistencies
Under Evason’s guidance, the Wild achieved a record of 147-77-27 over his five seasons as head coach. While Minnesota made the playoffs in each of those four seasons, they were unable to advance past the qualifying round in the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 season. The team’s offensive production this season has been lacking, with key players such as Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov falling short of their previous performances. The Wild currently rank 22nd in goals per game in the NHL, averaging just 2.95 goals. Defensively, the team has also struggled, now ranking as the second-worst team in the league in goals against per game, allowing an average of 3.95 goals.
Goaltending Woes
One of the biggest factors contributing to the Wild’s struggles has been the performance of their goaltenders. Both Filip Gustavsson and Marc-Andre Fleury have fallen below expectations, with save percentages of .881 and .875 respectively. The lack of consistent and clutch goaltending has undoubtedly impacted the team’s overall performance and standings in the league.
Reshuffling the Coaching Staff
Alongside Evason, assistant coach Bob Woods was also let go by the Wild. With the addition of Hynes, the organization hopes to bring a fresh perspective and strategies to empower the team to turn their season around. Hynes, who has experience coaching NHL teams and has guided his teams to the playoffs four times, may provide the leadership needed to reignite the Wild’s performance.
Hynes has a significant history with two of the Wild’s top executives, general manager Bill Guerin and senior advisor Ray Shero. Guerin was Hynes’ general manager during his tenure coaching the AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton team in the Pittsburgh Penguins organization. Furthermore, Shero was the one who hired Hynes as the head coach of the New Jersey Devils. These connections likely played a role in the organization’s decision to bring Hynes on board.
With the Wild currently seven points out of a playoff seed, there is still time for the team to turn their season around under Hynes’ leadership. By addressing the team’s offensive struggles and tightening up their defensive play, the Wild can aim to improve their goal differentials. Additionally, consistent and reliable goaltending will be crucial for the team to secure victories and climb the standings.
In the end, the firing of Evason marks a pivotal moment for the Minnesota Wild, and the team now faces the challenge of regaining their form and making a push for the playoffs. With Hynes at the helm, there is hope for a fresh start and a resurgence in the team’s performance. Only time will tell if this coaching change will lead to the success the Wild and their fans are desperately seeking.
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