Wild coach Dean Evason's job could be in jeopardy
How much longer of a leash does he have?
HockeyFeed
It's the broken record that for some reason, continues and continues to play and ring sounds of horror in the ears of fans in the State of Hockey. The Minnesota Wild were eliminated in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs yet again, meaning that they've not advanced past Round 1 since taking down the St. Louis Blues in 2015.
Additionally, it's been exactly 20 years since the team advanced past Round 2 of the postseason in that magical run of 2003 that would culminate in a cruel fate that the Detroit Red Wings and Dallas Stars before them experienced - running into a brick wall in the form of Anaheim Mighty Ducks goaltender J.S. Giguere.
According to Wild general manager Bill Guerin, he has no plans to make a coaching change - just yet.
"I like Dean. He’s a good coach," Guerin explained shortly after the Wild season ended. "I do believe in him. Not every coach is going to have instant success. Just like players. Coaches get better every year, they get more experience. Dean has not been a head coach in this league for a long time. He’s still learning as well. I do say this. He hasn’t gotten past the first round. But I look back at the good stuff that he’s done. He’s coached a team that’s missing two big players because of the cap hits. It’s not an excuse, but a fact."
But the folks over at The Hockey News have a different viewpoint. Essentially, Evason and the Wild must have playoff success in 2024, or else his time with the team could be finished. Author Adam Proteau wrote that Guerin could even quickly change his mind if the team struggles in the regular season:
"Wild GM Bill Guerin clearly continues to have faith in Evason, but that could change if Minnesota is slow out of the gate, or at any point in the season, for that matter. The coaching carousel feels like it turns faster than ever these days, and like many of his colleagues, Evason knows full well he needs to get the Wild at the very least beyond the first round, or deal with being dismissed. Five seasons can seem like an eternity to the NHL coaching fraternity, and Evason must deliver bottom-line improvement or have his job security jeopardized."
Just how much longer will the Wild go with Evason as head coach?
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