Have The Minnesota Wild Found Their Next Head Coach?
The Minnesota Wild have made the playoffs twice in the last two seasons under head coach John Hynes. This time, they advanced into the second round but were eliminated by their rivals, the Colorado Avalanche, headed by Jared Bednar.
After Hynes three-year tenure in Minnesota, and the tumultuous coaching carousel which continues to this day, you have to wonder whether or not he'll be the next coach shuffled back onto the ride, which seems to continue in perpetuity.
Hynes record with the Minnesota Wild is 111-72-19, and he's helped take the team to two post-season runs, but wasn't able to push the team further.
2025-26 was a successful year for the Wild, after goaltender Jesper Wallstedt played above expectations, and the trade for Quinn Hughes added elite talent to the core. Adding veteran Nick Foligno gave the team some extra grit on the bottom-six.
They finished the regular season 46-24-12, but if there's one thing that is true about the NHL, it's that front offices that they'll work to find a way to win by any means necessary (the Vegas Golden Knights, for example). Given how much general manager Bill Guerin spent to bring defenseman Quinn Hughes to Minnesota, you have to wonder whether or not Hynes' days are numbered.
The Oilers have fired Kris Knoblauch, a coach who was Connor McDavid's former coach in the juniors, who arrived behind the bench in Edmonton, and took the team to two Stanley Cup Finals, despite above-average goaltending and a middling defensive core.
Should The Wild Fire John Hynes?
Could GM Guerin make an offer to Knoblauch if Hynes ends up being fired?
Chris Schad of Gone Puck Wild believes they should target Knoblauch if Guerin decides to proceed down that route.
Knoblauch was fired by the Oilers on Thursday morning and if the Wild are serious about maximizing their championship window, they’ll can Hynes and hire a coach that has had a much better resume for playoff success.
Hynes is a great regular-season coach, but when it comes to games that matter, he's been a ghost.
Hynes is now 11-25 in playoff games over his career and 0-6 in elimination games. Eeven if general manager Bill Guerin has admiration for the job Hynes has done, hiring Knoblauch would be the best way to maximize a championship window.
If the Minnesota Wild are serious about staying within their window of contention, they may want to consider a new voice behind the bench.
Nick Wosika-Imagn Images
