Devils Coaching Search Profile: Dean Evason

The Minnesota Wild may have primarily played dump and chase under Dean Evason, but he did show adaptability in his time with the Wild.

---

Follow us on Twitter: @AlexC_NJD, @NJD_OnTheRush

---

Fixing the New Jersey Devils' roster will be the priority for general manager Tom Fitzgerald this summer. But getting the coaching hire right will be nearly as important. To say this is a make-or-break hire for Fitzgerald might not be doing it justice, so he needs to get it right. 

The coaching carousel doesn't look as stocked as a summer ago when names such as Bruce Cassidy and Peter Laviolette were available, but Fitzgerald should have some good ones to choose from. Based on his end-of-season presser, he wants a coach who's tough and will hold everyone accountable. 

Craig Berube obviously fits that description, but another name who should interest the Devils is former Minnesota Wild coach Dean Evason. Let's look at his tenure with the Wild, how they played, and why the Devils should give him a call this summer. 

Wild Saw Plenty of Success Under Evason

Evason's tenure in Minnesota ended poorly, but the overall product was quite good. He finished with a 147-77-27 record with the Wild and made the playoffs in each of his three full seasons. The Wild finished with 53 wins and second place in the Central Division in 2021-22, their best season under Evason. 

From the 2020-21 to 2022-23 seasons, the Wild totaled a 51.62 expected goals percentage (xG%) at five-on-five. Defense was the name of the game under Evason, as they allowed just 2.24 expected goals per 60 minutes with him behind the bench. 

Creating offense under Evason was a bit of a struggle, however. The Wild generated only 2.38 expected goals per 60 over his three full seasons, ranked just 20th in the NHL, but their team microstats were pretty interesting. 

Let's start with the 2021-22 season, which was the Wild's best under Evason. The Wild were pretty good at creating offense off the rush, ranking 12th league-wide. Their work in transition was solid, as they were a middle-of-the-pack transition team. 

The Wild's in-zone offense was quite good, too, meaning they probably had a diverse enough offense to not just rely on the rush. We know that was a problem for the Devils this past season. They became too rush-oriented and were not as diverse a team offensively as they were in 2022-23.