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  • John Hynes Must Develop Wild’s Identity In 2024-25


    Image courtesy of Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
    Robert Brent

    When the Minnesota Wild take the ice for the 2024-25 season, it will be the team’s first full season under John Hynes. Unlike last year when Dean Evason started the season as head coach, Bill Guerin and Hynes will have the opportunity to fully build and tweak the team in Hynes’ image. 

    That makeover is pivotal for Minnesota, a team many feel lost its identity last year. If the Wild are going to bounce back next year, it will be essential for Hynes to develop a new trademark style. Hynes has spoken about how important a team’s identity can be for its success.

    A Case of lost identity

    For most of the team’s existence, the Wild have favored low-event games they won with defense. Since 2013-14, the Wild have placed in the top half of the league in total goals against eight times. The 2023-24 season was their worst defensive season. They gave up 248 goals, good for 20th in the league. 

    The Wild’s lack of defensive prowess had some obvious contributing factors. Two of the team’s most important defenders, Jonas Brodin and Jared Spurgeon, missed time with injuries. The goaltenders didn’t play great, either. Filip Gustavsson (-.11 GAA Better Than Expected) and Marc-Andre Fleury (-.30 GAA Better Than Expected) gave up more goals than expected, given the quality of chances they faced. The penalty kill was particularly poor, ranking 30th in the NHL.

    Last year, the Wild were an oft-injured club with poor special teams, an aging roster, and a few bright young stars. That’s not an identity, at least not a winning one. Minnesota’s lack of distinguished style concerns fans and media, and the team acknowledged that. The Athletic had several quotes from exit interview day that tell us where the Wild failed last year, but a couple stand out as being particularly crucial.

    “I’ve always said in years past how much I would have hated to play against us,” Ryan Hartman said. “And this year, I don’t know if I could have said the same thing.”

    Marcus Foligno echoed those sentiments and added a bit more fuel to the fire. 

    “I just felt like we didn’t have that energy,” Foligno said. “That usually wasn’t the case seasons before. … I just felt that this year we really, when it came to being down a goal or two, it felt like we were a little bit sorry for ourselves.”

    John Hynes gives clues to Minnesota’s new approach

    Hynes' first order of business as the new head coach of the Wild should be to develop a new brand of Wild hockey. Hockey personalities tend to offer purposely vague quotes. However, we can gather clues from how Hynes has discussed his team this preseason. Look no further than Hynes stressing the importance of playing to his desired identity after an exhibition tilt with the Winnipeg Jets.

    Some important traits include playing directly, getting out of their own zone, and being fast on the attack. These are desirable traits that coaches value, but Hynes has specifically singled out those virtues on multiple occasions. He also praised Jakub Lauko for playing a fast and heavy game.

    When you compare Hynes' comments with his coaching history, you can see how the Wild will likely play. Minnesota will look to solidify its structures and play a simplified, aggressive, low-event game. Low-event was the name of Hynes' game in previous stops in Nashville and New Jersey. Hynes desires that the team plays direct, simple, and hard points towards the Wild adopting a similar style. He appears to emphasize speed more than in previous stops, but fast doesn’t necessarily equate to eventful hockey.

    Are the Wild equipped for a new look?

    It’s clear that Hynes wants the Wild to play a game predicated on speed, effort, accountability, and physicality. Whether Minnesota can live up to that task remains to be seen. 

    At first glance, the Wild could have trouble playing a physical game. Hockey fans and front offices often equate physicality with being a large team. The Wild are not. They ranked last in average player weight last season and will climb only gradually to 29th this year

    However, size isn’t the only factor in playing a “heavy” game. The Florida Panthers are only incrementally bigger than the Wild, and teams fear them for their play style. To play heavy, a club needs buy-in from the players and defensive accountability that allows the team to make classic proverbial “sandpaper” plays.

    Minnesota has its defense locked in for this season. It’s an area of the team that Bill Guerin has invested a lot in. Brock Faber will be another year older and hopefully improve in his sophomore season. Jonas Brodin and Jared Spurgeon will enter the season with a clean bill of health and will hopefully stay that way. The Wild defense is also a very balanced unit. Faber does a bit of everything, Spurgeon and Brodin are defensively responsible, and Zach Bogosian and Jake Middleton are classic bruisers.

    Looking at the forward group, Minnesota looks prepared to play the John Hynes game. The team will ice a few new faces this year that should contribute to a culture change. Marat Khusnutdinov will have every chance to make an impact this season. He plays a gritty style despite his small stature. 

    Signing Yakov Trenin doesn’t do much for the Wild’s depth scoring but does provide the team with a penalty-kill specialist who plays hard and fast. Jakub Lauko is another new player who fits the difficult to play against mold. Lauko has impressed many in the preseason, including John Hynes, as a player who matches the way the Wild want to play.

    It may be different from the answer some Wild fans want to hear. With exciting players like Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy, it’s easy to want the team to be a high-flying offensive juggernaut. That probably won’t work for Minnesota, at least not yet. When prospects like Danila Yurov and Zeev Buium jump to the NHL, a skill-based approach might make more sense.

    For now, The team is far more equipped to play a low-event style that plays a hard, responsible, and opportunistic style. Luckily, this is a methodology that John Hynes implements frequently. If the Wild are to be a successful team in 2024-25, it will be because they return to being the team that plays low-event hard to play against hockey while still allowing their stars the freedom to shine. It’s an identity the team lost last season that they must once again cultivate moving forward.

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    For most of the team’s existence, the Wild have favored low-event games they won with defense. Since 2013-14, the Wild have placed in the top half of the league in total goals against eight times. The 2023-24 season was their worst defensive season. They gave up 248 goals, good for 20th in the league. 

    Well, there you have it.  I'm not saying defense wins championships.  However, without it, you're just as bad as a high end defensive team with no offense.  The Wild have the personnel to value the defensive side first.  A couple years ago, there was this crazy feeling where the Wild could always score, always come from behind.  It didn't help them in crunch time.  

    I'm not going to say what the answer is until I see it.  It took a Nino goal in Game 7 to even scratch the second round.  However, if the players are saying, "We aren't a team anyone is scared or annoyed to play against," what does that tell you?

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    When I am hearing “simplified, low event, hard to play against “ and so on, it is really means team with no skills. It will translate to “dump and chase” type of game. No team with this style of play were even close to win the Championship. If this true philosophy don’t expect Kaprizov to sign 

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    Hynes' breakout and neutral zone strategy of speed and quick passing was evident once he took the helm. Way quicker and faster than what Dean-o implemented, going to be curious to see how the team plays with a full off-season with his staff.

    I don't see him having KK play a strict dump and chase game but I don't think he was fond (much like a lot of us) with the east-west coast game that Zucc & KK like to play sometimes that lead to a lot of turnovers.

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    Russo's Lines tonight

     

    Kap/Hartman/Zuccarello

    Mojo/Ek/Ohgren

    Foligno/Rossi/Trenin (Give me this line all day)

    Lauko/Khus/Gaudreau

     

    Brodin/Spurgeon (C'mon Captain!)

    Hunt/Faber (Middleton is day to day)

    Chisholm/Bogo

     

    Gus/Fleury

    Edited by Citizen Strife
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    1 hour ago, Citizen Strife said:

    Russo's Lines tonight

     

    Kap/Hartman/Zuccarello

    Mojo/Ek/Ohgren

    Foligno/Rossi/Trenin (Give me this line all day)

    Lauko/Khus/Gaudreau

     

    Brodin/Spurgeon (C'mon Captain!)

    Hunt/Faber (Middleton is day to day)

    Chisholm/Bogo

     

    Gus/Fleury

    It looks like Chicago's lineup for tonight is (which looks pretty close to probably their final roster similar to the roster except for a couple players here and there — especially their goalies — so hopefully a fun/good matchup):

    Kurashev — Bedard — Bertuzzi
    Reichel — Athanasiou — Hall
    Foligno — Dickinson — Mikheyev
    Maroon — Spellacy — Smith

    Vlasic — Jones
    Murphy — Korchinski
    Phillips — Crevier

    Soderblom — Commesso

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    2 hours ago, Pewterschmidt said:

    Russo’s tweet: Ogz plays 2nd line and 2nd PP tonight against CHI varsity lineup

     show a pulse tonight young gun

    Boldy's injury is the definition of an opportunity for Ohgren to play in the top 6.  Make yourself noticeable and force the coaches to give you Nojo's job once Boldy returns. 

    The bar ain't that high kid. 

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    43 minutes ago, WildRam said:

    But P-Dizzle, if we don't ice Fred and Nojo this season, Kap might actually want to stay in Minnesota! 

    97 is a winner.  He’s only interested in deep playoff runs.  He’s entering his prime years (27-32 y.o.) and he came to the nhl because it’s the best league in the world.  But P-ete Rose, Kap likes the weather…small market…steak at manny’s…zuccy’s kid…nacho platter at zorbaz…fuck all that noise, 97 wants the prize and he’s going to play for the team that gives him best chance.  Doubtful his next contract is 5 year.  He signs 8 year for max cash.  Does he lock in next 8 years surrounded by 34 year old journeyman and a handful of 20 year olds trying to break into the league.   Not likely.  

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    18 minutes ago, Sam said:

    I was contemplating on watching the debate tonight, but the big guns are out tonight and they will be more entertaining to watch. Let’s go Wild!

    NHL over Looney Tunes any day.

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    I don't think it is unreasonable for Heinzy to expect this team to play fast, hustle and finish checks all over the ice. I think that is what he wants. You know who exemplifies that? Ek! 

    Seriously, we were having a Kaptaincy change conversation on the Spurgeon thread, but Ek is a Heinzy guy. It's time to pass the torch. What would mean a lot is if Spurgeon handed his C to Ek in a little ceremony during their getaway. 

    I think Kaprizov would want to play for a team that played this way.

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    23 minutes ago, Sam said:

    I was contemplating on watching the debate tonight, but the big guns are out tonight and they will be more entertaining to watch. Let’s go Wild!

    Wouldn't the question be which Walz do you want to listen to?

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    Hopefully Lauko isn't hurt too bad. Really like him, other than the neck-guard. 

    Lauko, 2pts in 5mins TOI. NoJo with fifteen shifts and plenty of TOI. Just one shot, one giveaway. When are they gonna quit playing that blowbag? He frick'n sucks. 

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