The Minnesota Wild made a significant coaching change on Monday, firing Dean Evason after a disastrous start to their season. The team has struggled with a current seven-game winless streak and only four regulation wins, leaving them second to last in the NHL standings. As a result, John Hynes, former coach of the Nashville Predators and the New Jersey Devils, will take over as the new head coach of the Wild.
Under Dean Evason’s leadership, the Wild had qualified for the playoffs in all four previous seasons. However, they continuously fell short of winning a playoff round. Despite this, general manager Bill Guerin expressed gratitude for Evason’s dedication and hard work with the organization. With a record of 147-77-27, Evason’s tenure as head coach was not without its successes.
This season, the Wild have faced challenges on both ends of the ice. Their offensive production has been subpar, with key players like Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov failing to meet previous performance levels. The team currently ranks 22nd in goals per game in the NHL. On the defensive side, the Wild have experienced a significant decline from last season when they finished sixth in goals against per game. Their goaltending has been a major factor in this regression, as both Filip Gustavsson and Marc-Andre Fleury have fallen short of expectations with save percentages below .900.
John Hynes takes over as the head coach of the Minnesota Wild with a history of coaching experience in the NHL. He previously coached the Nashville Predators for four seasons and was the head coach of the New Jersey Devils for five seasons. While Hynes has guided his teams to the playoffs four times, he has yet to win a playoff round. Despite this, Hynes has strong connections within the Wild organization, having worked with general manager Bill Guerin and previously been hired by senior advisor Ray Shero with the Devils.
With the change in coaching staff, the Minnesota Wild hope for a fresh start and a reversal of their misfortunes. Under John Hynes’ guidance, the team aims to regain their offensive prowess and tighten up their defense. The Wild currently find themselves seven points out of a playoff seed, but it is not beyond reach to turn their season around.
The firing of Dean Evason as the head coach of the Minnesota Wild signifies the team’s dissatisfaction with their disappointing start to the season. With John Hynes taking over, the Wild look to find consistency and improve their offensive and defensive performance. It remains to be seen whether this coaching change will have the desired impact, but the organization is hopeful for a turnaround in their fortunes.
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