The Minnesota Wild’s season came to an obvious end even before the final game because they were eliminated from the postseason one week prior. Even if the season ended for a variety of reasons, head coach John Hynes should bear relatively little of the responsibility.
Following a 5-10-4 start, former head coach Dean Evason was fired, and Hynes was brought in to try something different. Teams with new coaches usually bounce back, and the team did it right away, defeating the St. Louis Blues 3-1 at home.
They gained some respect for the coach and the squad after the first game for what they did. They went 9-5 in December, including two victories over the Boston Bruins, and it appeared like things were finally turning around. But after suffering a slew of injuries, they were unable to maintain their momentum and began dropping games. Starting with his leadership, we’ll examine how Hynes guided the club and why he ought to be retained in this piece.
Hynes Deserved Appreciation
Many coaches want to make all the changes to the club when they first take over, but Hynes is not one of those coaches. He made only a few small tweaks to the roster that was already in place rather than trying to turn around a failing team. He wanted to know the players and determine who fit in the lineup before experimenting with different lineups. After hearing what the players had to say, he began to identify areas for improvement.
Before implementing changes that might not have been successful without the team’s cooperation, he gained their respect and trust. They learned how to win as well as how to endure defeat in games. Upon assuming control of the squad, Hynes did not assign responsibility to anyone, including Evason, for the team’s style of play. Instead, he focused on making his own adjustments.
Hynes admired the team’s potential and the leadership group that the captains had already established before he entered. They were able to turn it around because he was able to inspire them to dig deep and have faith in themselves.
Hynes Modified
Former Wild coaches have had difficulty implementing required changes when things weren’t functioning, which contributed to their inability to win. The squad was winning when Hynes joined, but he took the necessary action when things got difficult. None of the lines were safe once he altered the line combinations.
To produce a spark, even the top line was altered, and it succeeded. He had no problem rotating the goalies and defenders. He made adjustments to anything that could be altered and discovered fresh approaches to chemistry. But eventually even those fresh lines ran out of steam, so Hynes went back to the drawing board and added even more adjustments in an attempt to discover a new spark.
Even after the season ended, he continued to make adjustments and continued to take the younger players out on the ice. In the current lineup he’ll be facing next season, he also got a look at what these guys could do, especially Jesper Wallstedt in goal.
Hynes Remain Calm
In an attempt to create a spark, Hynes wasn’t hesitant to make roster adjustments and changes during his first season with the Wild. He learned what worked and what didn’t while also managing a number of wounds. These were not insignificant injuries either; at one point, they affected both his best defenseman and leading scorer. Even after going through everything he did during this up and down season, he remained composed.
He maintained his composure on the bench despite his feelings, unlike other coaches who would lose their cool when watching the Wild play some of their games. He maintained a fairly balanced demeanor, neither being either furious nor delighted. Teams often imitate their coach’s feelings, as we’ve seen in the past, and the Wild have had trouble with that in the past during extremely unpleasant moments. It’s critical to have a coach who can help athletes control their emotions, and Hynes is such coach.
Hynes Deserved His Place
Hynes is a coach who constantly wants to learn new ideas and who observes other teams. When things with the Wild stopped working, he persisted in trying other approaches and never gave up. He deserves another chance to prove himself and see what he can achieve with a full season and a fresh start after everything he’s been through this season. With any luck, he can figure out the perfect lineup and get out to a winning start in 2024–25.