This past offseason, the Columbus Blue Jackets brought in former Wild coach Dean Evason, and it’s turning out to be a win-win for both. The Blue Jackets and the Wild are having strong seasons, showing that the move has worked out well for Evason and John Hynes.

Minnesota Wild HC John Hynes and Columbus Blue Jackets HC Dean Evason battling for COTY

The Minnesota Wild have an impressive 27-14-4 record, ranking among the league’s best. On the other hand, the Columbus Blue Jackets are 22-17-6, already outperforming the low expectations many had for them at the start of the season.

As the NHL season crosses the halfway mark, oddsmakers now have both John Hynes and Dean Evason ranked among the top three favorites for Coach of the Year.

Jack Adams Odds (Coach of The Year)

• Spencer Carbury -450
• John Hynes +800
• Dean Evason +800

DraftKings

Related: Minnesota Wild Finally Release Good News on Injured Stars

The clear frontrunner for the award right now is Spencer Carbery. He’s leading the Washington Capitals, who are absolutely dominating with 65 points, the most in the entire league. Their record of 30-10-5 is seriously impressive.

The two names following him are pretty intriguing, John Hynes, now leading the Wild, and former Wild head coach Dean Evason, who coached the team from 2019 to 2023 and is currently at the helm of the Blue Jackets. So far, it’s shaping up to be a both sides win situation for both the Wild and Evason.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have won 6 straight and are sitting in a playoff spot. What an incredible story they've been this season. Team shows up to work.

1st in goals scored off turnovers (within 10s) – 68.
T-1st in goals off turnovers (within 5s) – 27. pic.twitter.com/SPkGmH44do

— Mike Kelly (@MikeKellyNHL) January 17, 2025

Before the season even started, sportsbooks set the Blue Jackets’ over/under for points at 67.5. Fast forward 45 games, and they’ve already hit 50 points, well ahead of schedule. The Wild, on the other hand, had their point total set at 93.5, and with 58 points through 45 games, they’re also ahead of pace.

It’s going to be fascinating to watch how the rest of the season unfolds. There’s still a lot of hockey left to play, but imagine how incredible it would be if it all came down to Evason and Hynes. Only time will tell.

Related: Minnesota Wild Depth Chart, Projected Lines and Current Salary Cap Space (2024-25)

Dean Evason blames Minnesota Wild goalies for getting him fired

In last night’s loss, goaltending was far from the Wild’s biggest problem. But don’t tell that to Dean Evason, who told Darren Wolfson (KSTP, SKOR North) that Minnesota’s poor goaltending while he was head coach is ultimately what got him fired.

“[Dean Evason] doesn’t feel like he lost the locker room. He felt like he pushed literally every button. He screamed, he coddled, he switched lines. Bottom line, his goalies let him down. And that was one thing that maybe came up more so off-camera than on. He just told me, ‘you do the homework on this but look at the goals we have given up, then look at those shot opportunities…”

Darren Wolfson – Mackey & Judd Show (SKOR North)

The on-camera portion of Evason’s interview with Wolfson can be watched HERE and listened to HERE. In the sitdown, Dean shows a side of himself that we never really got to see while he was head coach of the Wild. Definitely worth watching/listening to.

Related: Wild in Advanced Talks with Tim Walz, Others on Major Renovations for Xcel Energy Center

And before we jump to conclusions and label Dean Evason as a sour ex-coach looking to point fingers at anyone but himself… let’s see if he is right. Did the Wild’s goaltending cost Deano his job? Ding, ding, ding… yes, it did.

Former head coach isn’t wrong about Wild goaltending…

In fact, goalie play has been the Wild’s most improved area since Hynes took over as head coach. The Athletic moved Minnesota up four spots in their weekly power rankings (#25 up to #21) and pointed to the play of Filip Gustavsson and Marc-Andre Fleury as the catalyst for improved play under Hynes.

A lot went right in Minnesota’s four-game winning streak to start the John Hynes era, as detailed in this from Joe Smith, but nothing looms larger than that .955 save percentage. Filip Gustavsson and Marc-Andre Fleury had been two of the NHL’s worst goaltenders, basically until Dean Evason was shown the door. Improved play from both, regardless of the reason, will go a long way.

The Athletic NHL Power Rankings

There are advanced analytics worth studying all over the game of hockey and that’s no different for goaltending. There’s Expected goals against and save % vs high danger scoring chances vs not… etc, etc, etc. But you don’t need advanced data to see that Evason is spot on with his assessment of the Wild’s goaltending while he was at the helm.

Filip Gustavsson, Marc-Andre Fleury good since John Hynes took over

Overall, Wild goalies are 4-1-0 since John Hynes took over as head coach. I’m not sure where The Athletic got that .955 save % from. Hockey Reference has Minnesota saving 120 of 127 shots, since Hynes took over, good for .945 save %. That’s still pretty damn good. The best team save % in the NHL this season is Boston’s .922.

Related: Twins and Bally Sports North are Done; Wolves and Wild are Next

Under Evason, goaltending was a completely different story. The kind of story you don’t read before bedtime. With Dean behind the bench Minnesota went 5-10-4 with a save % of .869. That’s dangerously close to the Carolina Hurricanes’ league worst .868 on the season.

Filip Gustavsson has started four of the Wild’s first five games under their new head coach. His combined save % in those four contests: .939. In 11 appearances this season under Evason: .881.

Marc-Andre Fleury will make his second start for John Hynes on Friday night. He allowed one goal on 29 attempts (.966) in his first appearance. Under Evason, Fleury was abysmal, posting a .875 cumulative save % in nine appearances.

If I’m Dean Evason, I’m not sure I go as far as telling the town’s scoop master that it was my goalies who cost me my job… but that doesn’t mean he was wrong. And… at the end of the day, you have to respect a guy who tells it like it is.

Hynes is known for his professionalism off the ice and a grinding, defense-first style on it. Most expect the Wild’s horrid penalty kill and extensive defensive issues to improve under their new head coach.

Related: Ryan Hartman Suspended Two Games for Slew Foot on Alex DeBrincat

But Bill Guerin rarely touched on execution issues, when introducing John Hynes in a press conference on Tuesday, and Billy made it known that this team doesn’t have a buy-in problem.

Minnesota Wild have a confidence problem

What they do have, according to their president of hockey operations, is a confidence problem. Guerin made it clear that there’s some high-end talent on the roster struggling with self-confidence on the ice and he went back to that well multiple times during his 30-minute presser this morning.

Reporter: “What needs fixing, first and foremost?”

Guerin: “First and foremost is confidence. I think the guys, as a team and as individuals, we need to help them get their confidence back. [Get them] confident in their individual abilities, confident to make plays, especially under duress, hold on to pucks… things like that. Just build them back up to where they can perform at their highest level.”

Reporter: “Bill, you mentioned you didn’t feel like ‘it’ was coming back. Can you elaborate as to what ‘it’ is?

Guerin: “I guess what I mean… ‘It’ is a little bit of everything, you know? It’s confidence, it’s swagger, it’s the ability to make plays. The feeling that when you step out on the ice, you’re gonna accomplish something. And it just didn’t seem like that was coming back.”

Obviously, as Billy noted, a losing streak like what the Wild are currently going through will zap any team’s confidence. Sometimes in life, you need a change, especially in sports.

Related: The Minnesota Wild Suck and Bill Guerin Has Nobody to Blame but Himself

Guerin isn’t going to fire himself (even though he maybe should, given the contracts he’s signed recently) and he doesn’t have a lot of options to shuffle the roster, if he wants to keep postseason hopes alive. And Billy made it clear, both during and after his presser, that the Wild made this move because they still plan on making the playoffs.

Poor play weighting on Matt Boldy ‘like a ton of bricks’

So, the only big change he could make was to fire the coach. It might work, it might not, but something had to be done. So here we are. But it was where Guerin went a few minutes later, when asked about his top playmakers, who haven’t been carrying their weight through the first quarter of this season, specifically Matt Boldy.

When pressed by reporters, Billy seemed less concerned with Kirill Kaprizov, who he believes looks better and more confident of late. As for the team’s second best youngster, 22-year-old winger Matt Boldy, the Wild’s president of hockey operations carried a much different tone.

Matt Boldy has a very serious confidence problem right now and it's clear Bill Guerin is concerned about it. #mnwild pic.twitter.com/MtuK3cRUH7

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) November 28, 2023

“Kirill [Kaprizov] loves playing hockey. He loves competing and when you see him doing that with a smile on his face, he’s got that personality coming out, you know something’s coming and I haven’t seen that a lot this year but [vs Toronto and Colorado] I could see glimpses of that, which is good.

Matt [Boldy]… hey, Matt’s struggling. And you know, it’s hard, it’s hard. Put money aside, put contracts aside, this is a 22-year-old kid, OK? And we’re asking a lot out of him. He knows he’s struggling more than anybody else, more than any of the experts out there. And I guarantee the experts out there have never been through something like this. This is weighing on him like a ton of bricks and it’s our job to help him get out of it. We’re not there to beat him up and point fingers at him or anything. We gotta help him out and nobody wants to do it more than him.”

Sure, John Hynes was brought in to help the Minnesota Wild execute in a way that Dean Evason could not. But what’s become clear, as this presser went on, is that he’s been brought in to fix a serious confidence problem that this team has, especially with Matt Boldy.

It has led to general manager Bill Guerin and Co. making the dramatic move to fire head coach Dean Evason after just 19 games. Michael Russo of The Athletic was the first to report the news. Assistant coach Bob Woods was also fired.

BREAKING: #mnwild have fired head coach Dean Evason and assistant coach Bob Woods

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) November 27, 2023

According to Russo, veteran coach John Hynes has been named the replacement. He most-recently served as the head coach of the Nashville Predators from 2019-23. Prior to that, Hynes was the New Jersey Devils head coach from 2015-2020. His teams have earned four playoff appearances during that span.

BREAKING: Sources tell me John Hynes will be the 7th coach in #mnwild history

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) November 27, 2023

All of this comes on the heels of Minnesota having lost seven consecutive games, including a 4-1 defeat at the hands of the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday. As I predicted earlier this week, Evason is taking the fall for a terrible Wild team that has nowhere else to turn, thanks to regrettable offseason moves from president of hockey operations, Bill Guerin.

Evason had replaced Bruce Boudreau as Minnesota’s head coach late during the COVID-shortened 2019-20 campaign. He ended up posting a combined 147-77-27 record in parts of five seasons with the Minnesota Wild. His .639 points percentage was sixth among active NHL head coaches before he was fired.

As for Hynes, he was let go after last season in Nashville. He’s considered a respected coach around the hockey world. Whether that translates to Minnesota turning this thing around remains to be seen.

Bill Guerin calls team meeting and chews out Minnesota Wild players

Before they left for Sweden, Bill Guerin held a team meeting, where from the sounds of it, he proceeded to lose his cool a little bit. The hockey president’s targets included Wild players of all ages and roles, not to mention the team as a whole.

Guerin let everybody have it — both as a team and individually, where it especially hurt. “Was it a scream-fest? Bit of both.” Marcus Foligno told The Athletic. “The one thing about Billy, when he talks, everyone respects the s— out of him. That guy talks, you’re gonna really, really listen.”

“It was kind of a kick in the ass, figure our s— out kind of meeting,” Ryan Hartman added. “Something we definitely needed.” Guerin voiced to his players — and his coaches — “I’m not happy. I’m not happy with where we are.”

The Athletic

Related: Wild in Advanced Talks with Tim Walz, Others on Major Renovations for Xcel Energy Center

So, the Wild played a little bit better, after Bill Guerin flipped out on everyone, I guess? Still, they lost both games and now find themselves 8 points back from a top-3 spot in the Central division; 4 points behind the Arizona Coyotes for the final Wildcard.

So let’s start here: Why is the President of Hockey Operations losing his mind on a locker room after a big loss? Sure, it isn’t the first time and all executive/player relationships are different, throughout the sports world.

Minnesota Wild lack buy-in?

But isn’t chewing ass in the locker room, after a brutal loss, the head coach’s job? Yes, which tells us Billy G knows what the Wild’s biggest issue is, even if he’s afraid to come right out and say it.

My biggest thing is our compete level. And look, guys work hard every night and they care. I know that. But it’s a different type of compete and focus. I just don’t think we’ve had it.”

“It’s everything from faceoffs and 50-50 puck battles to just pur execution, being in position, being in the right places to tape-to-tape passes. It all needs to be better.”

Bill Guerin – Interview with The Athletic

I’m not saying that’s a buy-in problem but it sure seems like the Wild have a buy-in problem. Evason and Guerin both claim they want to play heavy hockey but there’s a huge problem in that strategy right now. They do not currently employ players willing and/or able to take on the punishment playing heavy hockey brings with it.

Time to fire Dean Evason?

And that’s because players are not currently buying into what head coach Dean Evason is selling. Guerin can make word salad all he wants but the evidence is right there before our eyes, night in and night out.

Related: Twins and Bally Sports North are Done; Wolves and Wild are Next

Special teams is, yet again, a major issue. Why? You guessed it. When shorthanded, Wild penalty killers seem unwilling to block shots, signifying… yup, lack of buy-in.

The locker room obviously needs a new voice. This team isn’t responding to Dean Evason anymore. So, given the limited options available to make that happen on the ice, especially after the Foligno and Zuccarello extensions, it’s time for Guerin to more seriously consider a shakeup behind the bench.

New dean Evason face dropped after that Leafs goal 😂 #mnwild pic.twitter.com/ZOLuT4LHdy

— Alex Micheletti (@AlexMicheletti) November 19, 2023

With that in mind, here are 5 questions facing the latest edition of Bill Guerin’s Minnesota Wild:

1. Is head coach Dean Evason’s on the hot seat?

Dean Evason & Co have shown that they can and will compete in the regular season, as long as they play “their” game. Question remain, however, on the Wild’s ability to win in the postseason as currently constructed.

Because that hasn’t been the case during the Bill Guerin, Dean Evason era, up to this point. Last postseason, Minnesota led Dallas 2-1 in their opening series, and Game 4 was at home.

Related: Wild Re-Sign Calen Addison on Eve of Training Camp

But poor play and dumb penalties cost the Wild a 3-1 1st round lead and they never recovered, instead losing three-straight for another insufferably early playoff exit. So if Evason, now in his 3rd season as head coach, can’t lead the Minnesota Wild to postseason success, Guerin may have to start a search for someone who can.

I think Dean Evason has done some good things and been very steady over the past couple of seasons, but do wonder if he’ll be on the hot seat given Guerin’s public call-out last season that the special teams need to improve. https://t.co/MYkc0BKhuY

— Brandon Mileski (@BMileskiKFAN) April 26, 2023

2. Will investing in veterans pay off?

The Wild have been very careful about where they are spending their dollars, over the last couple of years, including when and how to extend the contracts of aging veterans who provide just as much locker room stability as they do effectiveness on the ice.

But all that went out the window on Friday, when Bill Guerin inked Mats Zuccarello to a 2-year contract extension hours before giving Marcus Foligno four more years too. Both guys got $4 million per season. The Wild GM made it clear, however, that it’s just a matter of time before Ryan Hartman gets a new deal of his own.

GM Bill Guerin indicated that Ryan Hartman is next to get extended. They’re in talks and it’s “heading that way.” Not sure if it’s coming in next few days or a week, etc. “He’s an identity player for us.” #mnwild.

— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithNHL) September 29, 2023

Foligno claims he is healthy, after a significant fall off to his game in 2022-23. Guerin is betting on that being the case. If Marcus returns to his 2021-22 self, the next four years will look like highway robbery.

3. Can Minnesota Wild new faces make needed contributions?

The Minnesota Wild added a couple of pieces this off-season via trade as well as free agency. The Wild acquired Pat Maroon and Max Cajkovic from Tampa Bay for a 2024 7th round pick. Tampa Bay also retained 20% of Maroon’s salary in the deal.

The 3-time Stanley Cup Champion will bring experience to the dressing room as well as knowing what it takes to not just win a series but go on a run in the postseason. There is no doubt those teams in Tampa were special, but as we saw with the Panthers in ’22-’23 sometimes you just the right group of guys with talent mixed in and you find yourself in a Stanley Cup Final.

Excelsior, MN native Vinni Lettieri found his way back home after spending time with the Rangers, Ducks and Bruins. Lettieri spent most of last season with the Providence Bruins where he played in 48 games scoring 23 goals and adding 26 assists. Lettieri has shown in the AHL that he can find the back of the net. The Wild are hoping that can translate to the NHL where he has played in 83 games, with 7 goals and 11 assists.

Related: Bill Guerin Nearly Loses Cool on Michael Russo at Press Conference

4. Can Filip Gustavsson be a reliable No. 1 Goalie?

Filip Gustavsson was rewarded with a 3 year $11.25 million dollar contract this off-season after posting a 22-9-7 record 3 shutouts with a .931 SV% and a GAA of 2.10. Gustavsson also appeared in 5 postseason games and was in net for their 2 wins in the opening round series against Dallas.

There are a few questions about how the Wild will use both him and Marc Andre-Fleury in 2023. Gustavsson started 39 games last year, and given his overall numbers it makes sense to think that the Wild are going to stretch him out a bit more this season. Marc Andre-Fleury remains on the roster, and is a guy who can start here and there, but I believe the Wild are better off letting Gustavsson dive in, and see if he can sustain those numbers as a true number 1.

5. Can Kirill Kaprizov be even better?

As the Superstar Kirill Kaprizov returns for his 4th season in Minnesota the question is what else can he do. Kaprizov comes in looking for his 3rd consecutive 40 goal season, for a franchise that doesn’t have another player with more than one.

Check the highlights from The Kirill Kaprizov Show as the Wild beat the Canucks! #mnwild pic.twitter.com/h9Gx8GALNF

— Bally Sports North (@BallySportsNOR) March 3, 2023

It’s not so much about if he can keep up this pace, but more about what can the team do with this consistent production. An injury slowed him last year, and it seemed to something that he was laboring in the postseason.

If the Wild are able to get another 80+ game season from the Superstar, we could see a 50 goal scorer for the first time in franchise history. Bill Guerin signed Kaprizov’s linemate and best friend, Mats Zuccarello to a contract extension on Friday, which probably doesn’t happen if those two facts weren’t in play.

6. Is Marco Rossi a bust?

Marco Rossi is a player who everyone seems to keep waiting for to have that welcome to the NHL moment, including Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin. After being regarded as one of the top prospects in the 2020 NHL draft Rossi fell to 9th where he was selected by the Minnesota Wild.

Even though Rossi hasn’t found his footing in the NHL in 19 career games as he’s registered just 1 assist he has had no issues in the AHL playing for the Iowa Wild. In 116 games for Iowa Rossi has 34 goals, and 70 assists. The potential seems to be there, and the hope that Rossi is able to make that jump to the NHL.

It remains a big if for the organization. As the 9th overall pick, the Wild are hoping he is helping the club in St. Paul and doesn’t become a career AHL all-star.

Related: Bill Guerin Wants Some “F*** You” in Marco Rossi’s Game

2023 Minnesota Wild Expectations

ESPN came out with a Top 10 NHL Teams for the next 3 seasons the Minnesota Wild were listed as 7th. There is still the shadow of the Parise/Suter buyouts, but the Wild won’t be able to hide behind that.

As far as the regular season goes, I believe that we will see a very competitive team, and one that finds their way into the postseason. The regular season isn’t where the questions are. The postseason is when we will see if this team is ready to take a step forward and win a series and see what happens. It starts with a trip to Round 2.

Brian Heintz | Minnesota Sports Fan

I’m starting to get the vibe that the refs do not like Foligno…

5 minute major for this?#MinnesotaWild #mnwild #NHL #nhlplayoffs2023 pic.twitter.com/6iwEnqrStG

— Sammy Snipes (@Sammy_Snipes_) April 26, 2023

Same losing script for Wild vs Stars this series

The script was a lot like what we’ve seen during the other two Wild losses in this series. Dallas goalie and MN native, Jake Oettinger, was great again and the Stars scored two more power play goals, bringing their total to NINE power play goals in just FIVE games this series. Meanwhile, the Wild had a few more breakaways that were stonewalled by Oettinger and they failed to cash in on any of their three man advantage opportunities.

Sure, the Wild have been the better team during 5v5 but they’ve fallen devastatingly short on special teams, so far this series. Referees haven’t helped their cause much, either. Stars players have been taking “dives” throughout the series and the refs have, oftentimes, rewarded those European kickball tactics with power plays. It’s something Dean Evason and many Wild players have talked and complained about extensively since the end of game 1.

Dean Evason goes in on refs again

And after the loss on Tuesday, Evason went back to the well again, going at Stars players for diving and at refs because they continue to fall for said dives. He starts with the Foligno penalty and continues to list his grievances from there. The reporters, in turn, push for more. Evason happily gives them what they ask for.

Dean Evason addressed the media after the loss to the Dallas Stars in Game 5. #mnwild pic.twitter.com/rYVSNLIk4F

— Bally Sports North (@BallySportsNOR) April 26, 2023

Reporter: Dean, your thoughts on the Foligno major? If you had to drop a worse way to start a game, that had to set you back for sure…

Dean: “[Foligno’s penalty and ejection] took some life out of us for sure. With everything that’s going on and all the whining and stuff about everything, we disagree with it. We don’t think he changed his path. He could have changed his path and probably stepped in hard. If anything, their guy changed the path. We watched it several times. [Foligno] does not move. Moose does not move. He doesn’t move his legs, nothing. He just stays straight, he braces himself. It’s incidental contact. Two big men and you know, if anything, we thought their guy moved and our guy did not.”

Reporter: If the calls are still going to go against you, how do you negate the impact that the Stars’ power play is having on this series?

Dean: “Well, we have to stay out of the box. Would we have liked a few more calls? We got a couple of diving calls against them which was maybe a little bit too late. We think there’s some of that going on. You know, we had two breakaways. We thought that, you know, both were penalties. [Sam Steel] gets chopped and and then Nyquist has one at the end and gets can opener.

I don’t know, it’s tough. Again, we don’t wanna whine but, you know, there’s calls out there. But, bottom line is we’ve got to find a way to stay out of the box and play within the whistles, which we are. But, you know, clearly they caught some breaks and, when I’m saying breaks, that’s not necessarily just goals. They caught some breaks throughout the entire game, different situations, and what have you, and we did not.”

At some point, you have to stop crying and play the hand that is dealt.

Look, I like Dean Evason and love the direction the Minnesota Wild are heading in, under his guidance and that of General Manager, Bill Guerin. In addition, his complaints are (mostly) justified. Foligno is getting called for a penalty just about every time he hits someone, at this point, and the hits he’s laying are legal. And it’s dumb that Stars players are being rewarded for a cowardice sports practice like diving.

But hello, your team is on the brink of elimination. Complaining about referee blindness or Dallas players continually flopping to the ice like a limit of crappies freshly pulled through a fishing hole, has done nothing to help the situation through five games. Stars players are still taking dives, Foligno is still getting called for stupid penalties and the refs still don’t care.

So, instead of hoping these blind zebras finally hear your complaints, it might be more worth your time to focus elsewhere. Control more of the things that you can actually control. Like, how to get a puck past Jake Oettinger, how to get Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy going, or even, how to be better on special teams.

#mnwild give up 2 more power-play goals (9 for the series) and go 0 for 3 on the power play as Jake Oettinger posts a 26-save shutout to give Dallas a 3-2 series' lead.

Wild have 3 times rallied from 3-2 series' deficits (2014, twice in 2003 when down 3-1).

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) April 26, 2023

Wild need to focus on controlling what they can control.

At this point, Dallas isn’t going to change their on-ice tactics, especially when those tactics are working. The refs are not going to change, either. Especially when, on paper, penalty calls do not look one-sided. The Wild have 20 power play opportunities to the Stars’ 22. The difference? Dallas is 9 for 22 (41%) and Minnesota is 4 for 20 (20%).

There are no losses left in this series for the Minnesota Wild. It’s win or go home. So, it’s time for Dean Evason to stop crying about what the opposing team is doing or not doing — or what the refs are calling vs not calling — so he can focus more on how to force a game 7 on Thursday night.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

The Wild will play at home vs the Kevin Fiala and the LA Kings on Tuesday night and Addison will be a healthy scratch for the fourth-straight game.

4th straight scratch for Addison https://t.co/prF9W6KWui

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) February 21, 2023

Calen Addison isn’t the only Wild rookie who has struggled in his debut 2023 season and spent time in the press box because of it. Marco Rossi got the same treatment earlier this season, before he was sent down to Iowa to get his game right.

Uncoachable Calen Addison?

But this situation feels different, mostly due to Addison’s attitude. Rossi knew he was playing poorly and that his confidence had taken a hit. Calen, on the other hand, has voiced his confusion over why he is getting scratched and scolded.

But there’s clearly something brewing here between the coaching staff and the rookie defenseman, who has been a spark for the power play but struggles in his own end. The fact this was the second time Addison has been sat over a three-month span means it’s a recurring problem; in December it was for just one game. And it seems as though Addison doesn’t completely agree with the coach’s assessment. Coaches told him he was playing “scared,” and not engaging.

“I’m not scared out there,” Addison said.

Michael Russo – The Athletic

A peak behind the curtain shines even more light on what the Wild brass are worried about, with the 22-year-old defenseman. At this point in his career, Addison isn’t coachable. Evason thinks he’s playing a certain way (scared), which is a difficult reality to face. But instead of using Evason’s words to get better, Calen rebukes and denies that a problem even exists.

Dean has asked Addison to watch and tap on Jared Spurgeon, to help his game. That makes sense since “Spurgy” is one of the best undersized defenseman in hockey. Did Calen take that advice to heart? Nope. According to Spurgeon, himself, Addison never asks anything.

If Addison is watching Spurgeon, that’s one thing. But he’s surely not fully taking advantage of a potential goldmine of a resource.

“He never really comes over to ask anything,” Spurgeon said.

Spurgeon wasn’t being critical. He did say he’s talked with Addison on a number of occasions, pointing out things in practice and stuff like that. He brought up issues he himself had in his first few seasons.

Michael Russo – The Athletic

Addison on the trade block

Calen Addison isn’t the only party who has received criticism for his benching. Russo and others have questioned the timing of Dean Evason’s recent decision making on multiple subjects, including the healthy scratches he’s handed out over the last couple of months.

But that fact won’t save Addison, who was on the Wild’s trade block even before this most recent benching. Clearly, Evason and Guerin are worried about Calen’s mental makeup. So, it’s no surprise they’d deal him if given a good opportunity.

Whether Addison fully agrees with the coaches, it’d be smart to tap into Spurgeon as much as he can. Do a one-on-one video session. Go out for a coffee. Addison may never be Spurgeon, but if he wants to be part of this team’s future, he’ll need to be an improved version of himself. As we’ve speculated — even before the scratches — Addison could be trade bait heading into the deadline, or more likely this offseason. And this might lead to more credence to that theory.

Michael Russo – The Athletic

The Minnesota Wild have a few reported trade candidates. Jordan Greenway, Matt Dumba and now Addison have all been tagged, at one point or another, as players who could be on the move. What Guerin chooses to do could be dictated by how many games they win, leading up to the trade deadline.

Currently, Minnesota holds the final wildcard spot in the West. If they impress, Guerin could look to add for a playoff run. If they pile up a few losses, he could very well choose to sell

The puck drops tonight vs the Kings at 7 PM.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Passive aggressive shots here and there happen more regularly. Maybe, a writer goes on local radio or a podcast and vents criticisms they may not feel comfortable putting on paper. But rarely do the Michael Russos of the world go completely off the rails, in print, for the entire world to see.

Michael Russo disgusted by Wild

Russo has been covering the Minnesota Wild for nearly 20 years and he’s become invested in their success for a multitude of reasons, both personally and professionally. And recently, his Wild have been playing like shit.

So Wednesday, after another big loss pushed Minnesota outside of the current playoff tree, Michael lost his cool on the keyboard a little bit, which I always respect. He didn’t back down and hit the “Publish” button on Thursday morning, too. It started with an attack on the general manager.

But to not even make a single call-up while trotting out the same lineup night after night that has proved through 54 games it’s one of the worst even-strength-scoring teams in the league has been perplexing.

He doesn’t want to throw Rossi into such a tense situation like he’s some savior. Guerin’s in the winning business, so if he feels Rossi’s not ready, he’s the man in charge and would know better than any of us.

But the way Walker spurred Matt Boldy earlier in the season or the way Beckman has been scoring lately, surely they’d make better options than Jordan Greenway, Sam Steel and Ryan Reaves.

Michael Russo – The Athletic

Russo starts the article off bewildered at why Bill Guerin hasn’t done more to supplement the Wild’s offense during their recent scoring slump. As Michael points out, the Wild don’t have to call up Marco Rossi or make a splash trade to try and jumpstart this team offensively. There are other options that could work, and have worked in the past.

Evason and Marc-Andre Fleury feel Russo’s wrath

Next, the veteran Wild scribe took aim at Minnesota Wild head coach, Dean Evason, and his insistence on playing a struggling Marc-Andre Fleury when his teammate, Filip Gustavsson, is on a hot streak.

The “Gus Bus” has only allowed a 1.70 GAA and a .939 SV% in his last 10 games and the Wild win way more often when he takes the ice lately. Yet, for whatever reason, Evason left his hot hand on the bench vs Colorado on Wednesday, in favor of an expired hall of famer who’s been playing poorly for weeks.

The result? Fleury and the Wild took an L despite the 38-year-old facing just 19 shots. Avs goalie, Alexandar Georgiev, allowed only two goals on 43 shots and earned the game’s 2nd star (ESPN). That’s more than double the the amount of shots MAF faced, for those counting.

What’s more, despite Gustavsson going 7-1-1 in his past nine home starts, leading all NHL goalies in goals-against average and being second in save percentage since before Thanksgiving, the coaches opted to start Fleury, who was pulled in his previous start and hasn’t been nearly as good as Gustavsson, no matter how hard coach Dean Evason insists Fleury has been “fantastic,” too.

The decision sure backfired, especially in the second period when Fleury gave up the second and third goals on the Avs’ eighth and ninth shots — 14 minutes, 9 seconds apart.

Michael Russo – The Athletic

Russo questions recent healthy scratches

Lastly, Russo turned his keyboard tapping fingers to some of the Wild’s head-scratching healthy scratches, of late. Most recently, it was rookie defenseman, Calen Addison, who was shunned to the press box on Wednesday.

Russo doesn’t only question Addison’s benching, though. He doesn’t understand the timing of Dumba’s benching a month ago or Hartman’s a short time after. Michael’s criticisms didn’t stop at coaches and executives, though. By the end of his article, players all over the roster were falling victim to his ricochet shots.

… another decision that backfired was the decision to sit Addison.

Fair or not, the Wild have pushed Alex Goligoski aside to such a degree that the 37-year-old has collected dust. Yet they threw him into Wednesday’s lineup and decided now was a good time to send their power-play catalyst Addison a message because he hasn’t been good defensively.

It was peculiar timing. The Wild have scored 13 five-on-five goals in the past 14 games, so scoring on the power play has been just about the only option for a month. Removing the NHL’s rookie leader in assists and power-play points for the seldom-used Goligoski or, say, Jon Merrill, who hasn’t exactly been stellar, didn’t look like the right move when Goligoski’s mistake led to Colorado’s first goal and Merrill was on the ice for the first two.

Michael Russo – The Athletic

When Russo was finally done, just about everybody who has the Wild emblem on their paycheck received some sort of parting blow. Sam Steel, Ryan Reaves, Jon Merrill and Alex Gologoski were in the line of fire at some point but Jordan Greenway came under attack multiple times: “… if anybody deserved to have a message sent to him Wednesday, it was the winger Greenway…”.

Nobody at Xcel Energy Center is safe right now when Michael Russo is given a platform. That includes radio. Russo went on KFAN Thursday morning and doubled down, touching on just about all of these same areas.

Go Mike go. I’m all about a sports writer with power who isn’t afraid to go after the local clubs.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Marc-Andre Fleury has been benched, after two absolutely horrid starts to kickoff the season, in favor of 24-year-old backup, Filip Gustavsson. The Wild have also called up centerman, Sam Steele, to presumably replace rookie Marco Rossi.

Marco Rossi appears to be scratched tonight for the #mnwild

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) October 17, 2022

It’s possible, however, that Rossi still plays Monday night vs Colorado. Mats Zuccarello had to leave morning skate on Monday with an unknown injury/sickness that could hold him out tonight. That would bump Rossi back into the lineup.

What are we doing here?

Marco Rossi was expected to take a huge jump in 2022-23. Then, he had a great preseason (8 points in 6 games) and expectations grew even higher. Entering the season, Rossi was one of the leading preseason vote-getters and had some of the highest future odds to win the Calder Trophy (Rookie of the Year).

But when the puck dropped on the Minnesota Wild’s 2022-23 regular season, Rossi was buried on the 4th line. He’s averaging just 7.29 minutes of ice time, through two games. Now, he’s benched. Which begs the question: What are the Minnesota Wild doing here?

If Marco Rossi isn’t ready to contribute at the NHL level then he should be in Iowa, skating 18 minutes per night and running with the first line. In no scenario, whatsoever, should he be sitting up in the press box without hockey pads on. Even if disappointed in Marco Rossi’s play early on, keeping him off the ice entirely is unsalable.

I sure hope Dean and Billy know what they’re doing.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan