The Minnesota Wild have removed the interim tag from Head Coach Dean Evason. Evason originally replaced Bruce Boudreau in mid-February. He was one of the assistant coaches before he was promoted to his current role. He also received a new contract that will take Evason through the 2021–22 season. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was among those who broke the news Monday morning.
https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1282676642964537352?s=20
Wild Remove Interim Tag from Dean Evason
Evason was off to a strong start when he took over head coaching duties in Minnesota. The team was struggling at 27-23-7 through February 13. Evason’s first game was a loss to the San Jose Sharks but he ultimately went 8-4 in his brief time before the NHL halted operations. That is a small sample of games but it shows promise. The late surge helped push Minnesota past the Chicago Blackhawks and out of last place in the Central Division.
Evason brings over 800 games of experience playing in the NHL. He scored 139 goals and 372 points in 803 games for five different teams. His longest stretch was 1984–85 through 1990–91 with the Hartford Whalers. Evason’s best season was 1986–87 when he scored 22 goals and 59 points in 80 games. He has coached across all levels since 1998.
What This Means for the Future
Evason will have a chance to solidify his future in Minnesota now that the interim tag is gone. Minnesota has a tough matchup against the Vancouver Canucks just to get into the playoffs but he has been working with players and staff for weeks to prepare.
His role will become more clear as we move into 2020-21. The Wild are expected to add several new faces to the main roster next year including Kirill Kaprizov. One of Evason’s most important tasks will be to integrate a wave of young talent onto a roster filled with veteran talent. At the very least, it gives Evason job security as he moves through uncertain times.
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