Article: The Wild Were Never Moving On From Dean Evason

[Matthew Smith]

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[Willy the poor boy]

Who in the organization is brave enough to fire DE the way he throws punches around? 

[Willy the poor boy]

 

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It makes less sense when he isn't the main reason this team keeps coming in below our hopes and expectations.

Going into the last couple of seasons I think it's fair to say most thought the Wild were a crapshoot to make the playoffs, it could go either way. They have one legitimate star and one rising star on the team.

Is it fair to blame a coach who gets the team to outperform during the regular season and the team comes back down to earth in a playoff series? Again,. I think he's done a great job with what he's been given to work with. He ain't perfect but who is?

[mnfaninnc]

and why would we fire Evason? The guy has overachieved in the regular season for 3 straight years, and down the stretch in a 4th. Following this regular season, there were calls for him to be a Jack Adams finalist. Plus, this team isn't ready to take a major jump, he is still useful.

But, that albatross around his neck is getting heavier and heavier. It is the 0-professional coaching playoff record. The 0 simply doesn't change while the latter part gets longer. I have no problem with being shown the exit signs this season, we were a 3 seed who simply wasn't as talented on paper as the Stars were. Ek's injury was major (and not having a Lundell behind him was even more telling).

But you can still improve the coaching staff by keeping Evason. It's the bench associate coaches where I think we could seriously upgrade. Bruno would be an excellent option here, but I think there are some other former players who could be too. The key is finding these ex players, good players, who have a teaching gift. I also would consider bringing over a Swedish league coach with NHL experience. 

Why do these guys matter so much? Mainly because it seems like Evason is a bit creatively challenged, especially with in game adjustments. Why did they need to be good players? Because our current players need to respect their accomplishments. Those guys have been there and can get through to younger guys who remember them growing up. We're likely not reclaiming Addison without changing the associate coaches. I think they need a different voice back there. 

So, what could we do with the current associate coaches? Well, non-renewing contracts is one way. Another way, I could see, is to move them down to the A in elevated roles. The kids in the A need NHL calibre coaches to train them. Both of the guys on the current bench have that experience. 

Of course, most everyone knows that I'd love for Phil Housley to have a role, and I'd love for Koivu to have a role, but for Koivu to be behind the bench, I just think his age is not separated enough for that. 

Anyone have any good coaching suggestions for associate coaches?

[goaliemon]

Evason is here though next year at least, and I would think the earliest he would be fired is half way through the last season of being cap-strapped with the Parise/Sutter Contracts.  That would allow GMBG to pick his head coach for when this teams true Cup contention window will open (25-26 season) with its current core and prospects. 

All this assumes missing the playoffs next year or another ugly showing in the first round, and then not showing signs of improvement during the 24-25 season.  When the buyouts come off the books, the Wild will be an appealing destination for a coach with the way things are lining up right now, and GMBG is setting up to have his pick of coaches for the post buyout period, with Evason as a possibility to be that coach if he keeps this team playing at a high level, but I think a second round playoffs appearance next year is mandatory for him to be considered for him to be the coach after the buyout hits go down.

[Beast]

His playoff record can’t be discounted.  It should be the number 1 factor.  I don’t care about regular season results if it means repeatedly getting embarrassed in the first round (and that’s what’s happening, we’re not narrowly losing in 7 - this team faces adversity and folds like a cheap tent, against teams that aren’t particularly great).

Dean’s winning percentage with the Wild in the playoffs is .348.  He hasn’t really come close to winning a series, with only 1 of the 4 going to a 7th game.  You think that’s bad?  In the AHL he was 1-12 in the playoffs.  Thats so bad it’s nearly impossible to do.  In the WHL, he was 10-24.  His career record as a coach in the playoffs is .271.  His record in the two highest leagues in the United States is .250. 

He was surely good as a player though, right?  His career record in the playoffs as a player: 21-36.  .368 winning percentage.  Never made a finals.  Made a conference semis once or twice as far as I can tell (aka two series victories out of about 11).  Two series sweeps (0-4).  2 1-4s. 3 2-4s.  

We’re not talking bad luck/small sample size here.  We’re well over 100 playoff games as a coach or player with nothing even resembling success.  I’m sure he’s a great guy.  But, he has no idea what it takes to win in the playoffs, clearly.  He’s barely won a series (I see 1), let alone a championship as a player or coach.

He’s got to go.  You can’t have him infecting this next round of prospects.  He already has Kaprisov and Boldy curling into the fetal position come playoff time.  I’d fire him without a second thought.

[Dean]

IMO Dean isn’t a good coach. I agree with everything beast said. This rah rah about regular season success is a joke. regular season means nothing. Ask Boston .  We should be redoing both coaching staffs ahl/ nhl for these prospects.  If we’re doing this compete rebuild then we need to make sure these prospects are getting every opportunity to learn and succeed. I don’t see Dean as a coach for prospects.  I don’t see him as an nhl coach. The refs don’t seem to respect him. He can’t adjust or does he even try. He did no experimenting with lines before playoffs . Bill said on podcast poor Dean didn’t have any centers . He had sundquist in the press box  while Fred was getting destroyed on face offs . Then at the end of the season he says freddy had abdominal problems for months. So why in the heck did you never try sundquist at center.  Practices seem to be few and far between for deans teams . There is enough body of work to see Dean isn’t the guy .

   Since we’ve been around Chicago was bad got Kane #1 overall . Went on to win 3 cups and now has tore down and got first overall again. Meanwhile we’re still doing same thing with a different gm.  We have no money for cap reasons. However we can spend on coaches. If we’re seriously rebuilding then we would want the best possible coaches for these prospects.  It really seems like in ten years we will be saying we should have tore down and rebuilt. My guess is Chicago will be playing for a cup before we ever get out of 1st round.  If we keep doing the same things over an over and making false goals   Like the  regular season was a success.  Mediocre isn’t success!!

[Backwoodsbob]

4 hours ago, mnfaninnc said:

Of course, most everyone knows that I'd love for Phil Housley to have a role, and I'd love for Koivu to have a role, but for Koivu to be behind the bench, I just think his age is not separated enough for that. 

I don't quite understand what age separation has to do with coaching?

[Willy the poor boy]

1 hour ago, Beast said:

His playoff record can’t be discounted.  It should be the number 1 factor.  I don’t care about regular season results if it means repeatedly getting embarrassed in the first round (and that’s what’s happening, we’re not narrowly losing in 7 - this team faces adversity and folds like a cheap tent, against teams that aren’t particularly great).

Dean’s winning percentage with the Wild in the playoffs is .348.  He hasn’t really come close to winning a series, with only 1 of the 4 going to a 7th game.  You think that’s bad?  In the AHL he was 1-12 in the playoffs.  Thats so bad it’s nearly impossible to do.  In the WHL, he was 10-24.  His career record as a coach in the playoffs is .271.  His record in the two highest leagues in the United States is .250. 

He was surely good as a player though, right?  His career record in the playoffs as a player: 21-36.  .368 winning percentage.  Never made a finals.  Made a conference semis once or twice as far as I can tell (aka two series victories out of about 11).  Two series sweeps (0-4).  2 1-4s. 3 2-4s.  

We’re not talking bad luck/small sample size here.  We’re well over 100 playoff games as a coach or player with nothing even resembling success.  I’m sure he’s a great guy.  But, he has no idea what it takes to win in the playoffs, clearly.  He’s barely won a series (I see 1), let alone a championship as a player or coach.

He’s got to go.  You can’t have him infecting this next round of prospects.  He already has Kaprisov and Boldy curling into the fetal position come playoff time.  I’d fire him without a second thought.

I'm not so sure, you need players to win playoff games. If after game 2 and 3 you need the coach to motivate your ass you have the wrong players. Sure you can change things up if it's not working in the playoffs, but it's hard to go away from what's worked all season. From what I saw, the Wild were the better team throughout the series. To many missed chances and the D which had performed all season for the most part took a step back. What are you gonna do? Put Addison in? Not many coaches would have done that.

As far as the A, can you really gauge anything off that? You have players coming and going, especially at that time of the year. Teams want to move the best guys up to see what they've got so you have a lot of instability on the rosters.

[mnfaninnc]

On 5/11/2023 at 12:13 PM, goaliemon said:

Evason is here though next year at least, and I would think the earliest he would be fired is half way through the last season of being cap-strapped with the Parise/Sutter Contracts.  That would allow GMBG to pick his head coach for when this teams true Cup contention window will open (25-26 season) with its current core and prospects. 

All this assumes missing the playoffs next year or another ugly showing in the first round, and then not showing signs of improvement during the 24-25 season.  When the buyouts come off the books, the Wild will be an appealing destination for a coach with the way things are lining up right now, and GMBG is setting up to have his pick of coaches for the post buyout period, with Evason as a possibility to be that coach if he keeps this team playing at a high level, but I think a second round playoffs appearance next year is mandatory for him to be considered for him to be the coach after the buyout hits go down.

These are good thoughts. I would suggest that the timing of all this is more of the 2nd shoe dropping, in other words, the replacement that Shooter wants is available. 

I'm not sure who he would want, and everyone knows my recommendation of Sheldon Keefe, who may be on the chopping block if the Panthers knock him out this season. Somehow, I've also got Gallant in the back of my mind, simply because I believe the 2 know each other and probably respected each other's games. Who would you see as the replacement?

[mnfaninnc]

22 hours ago, Beast said:

We’re not talking bad luck/small sample size here.  We’re well over 100 playoff games as a coach or player with nothing even resembling success.  I’m sure he’s a great guy.  But, he has no idea what it takes to win in the playoffs, clearly.  He’s barely won a series (I see 1), let alone a championship as a player or coach.

I was wondering when someone else would dive into this record. It is some of the worst success ever scene. I'm also a bit amazed at how many ex-Hartford Whalers players have made it into coaching/management. As a franchise they never really were successful.

Oh, one other possibility I kind of heard about on NHL radio the other day, Pittsburgh may part ways with Mike Sullivan. I think this guy would be high on Guerin's list.

[mnfaninnc]

20 hours ago, Backwoodsbob said:

I don't quite understand what age separation has to do with coaching?

Because of Koivu's long tenure here as a player, he was a teammate to several of the current players. As a coach, you need to have a little buffer between that. It would work if all our players were new, but they're not. He can also start coaching some strategic sessions in camp, such as draws 101. 

But, to have him on the bench may be a little awkward with some of the players, although, he was captain for a good amount of that time, so they were used to his voice in the room. But, it came from a player's perspective, not a coaches. 

Koivu would make a solid coaching candidate in the A right now. Some may ask, well, what about McCleod then? I'd say 2 things, he was kept around to mentor the younger guys to begin with, and, I thought it wasn't the best idea as he was too close to being one of the players. But, in the A, with McCleod and with Koivu, there will be a pretty good age gap down there.

[mnfaninnc]

20 hours ago, Willy the poor boy said:

I'm not so sure, you need players to win playoff games. If after game 2 and 3 you need the coach to motivate your ass you have the wrong players. Sure you can change things up if it's not working in the playoffs, but it's hard to go away from what's worked all season. From what I saw, the Wild were the better team throughout the series.

Yes, it was part of his coaching that was the problem. You are correct that the coaches don't play and we need to convert those chances, but, in the past 3 series, and probably the Vancouver one as well, Evason was outcoached. He was far too slow to react to adjustments made by other coaches, and he was way to late to make his own adjustments, like, say, a different strategy on the PK because he had injuries.

[goaliemon]

1 hour ago, mnfaninnc said:

These are good thoughts. I would suggest that the timing of all this is more of the 2nd shoe dropping, in other words, the replacement that Shooter wants is available. 

I'm not sure who he would want, and everyone knows my recommendation of Sheldon Keefe, who may be on the chopping block if the Panthers knock him out this season. Somehow, I've also got Gallant in the back of my mind, simply because I believe the 2 know each other and probably respected each other's games. Who would you see as the replacement?

I would look hard at Andrew Brunette.  Unfortunately, I don't see GMBG going with him.  Gallant worries me, but would probably get a few good seasons before wearing out his welcome (which is what happened in New York, and I think Vagas as well.)  Keefe has never convinced me he's a high end NHL coach, but I do see the potential there.  

 

To be honest, I don't know who else is an up and coming coach, but I think one of them would have better luck then one of the "old guard" with how the Wild will likely be a young team in a few years time.

[mnfaninnc]

24 minutes ago, goaliemon said:

To be honest, I don't know who else is an up and coming coach, but I think one of them would have better luck then one of the "old guard" with how the Wild will likely be a young team in a few years time.

Some are saying Carbery is an up and coming head coach. I'd like someone with some NHL cred, and Evason has that. Perhaps a coach that has a couple of rings on his finger from playing would be good? 

There's also the case of Brind 'Amour. He fiddled around in the front office a couple of seasons and then took over the A team. When looking for that full-time coach, they promoted him. Maybe Guerin goes that route and hires Evason's eventual replacement to the A? Could that, in fact, be Mikko Koivu? Why him? Because he meant about as much to our organization that Brind'Amour meant to the Canes. He'd also be molding the guys he was going to eventually run with.