The Minnesota Wild fired coach Dean Evason and assistant Bob Woods on Monday after the team had a major dropoff in performance.
The Wild didn’t name a replacement coach in their announcement, but the Athletic reported that former Nashville Predators and New Jersey Devils coach John Hynes is expected to get the job.
The Wild made the playoffs in each of Evason’s first two-plus seasons in Minnesota, topping 100 points the past two seasons, but are off to a 5-10-4 record this season. They are on an 0-5-2 slide, including failing to pick up a win in Sweden.
Evason also never got the Wild past the first round of the playoffs.
The Wild rank 22nd in offense, 31st in defense and last overall in penalty killing.
Matt Boldy has one goal this season after getting 31 last season. Goaltender Filip Gustavsson, who signed a three-year contract, has seen his numbers drop from last season’s 2.10 goals-against average and .931 save percentage to 3.94, .881. Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury’s numbers are significantly down.
The Wild will also be without Ryan Hartman for the next two games after a suspension for tripping the Detroit Red Wings’ Alex DeBrincat.
The Wild are hampered in what they can do to turn around the team because of dead cap space from the buyouts of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter.
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