The Minnesota Wild could look to move forward Kevin Fiala due to apparent rift with head coach
There appears to be a growing rift between Minnesota Wild head coach Dean Evason and the team's leading scorer over the past two seasons, Kevin Fiala.
Fiala, 25, saw himself removed from the team's power play rotation on Saturday and saw just 3 shifts in the entire third period in a 5-4 loss to the Florida Panthers. Following the game, Fiala seemed baffled as to why he had been removed from the power play following the game, directing the media to ask his head coach why he wasn't being utilized with the man-advantage. Evason appeared to dispel that idea pretty quickly.
«We talk to each individual,» Evason said. «We talk to everybody, every guy. The guys know where they stand with us.»
The Athletic's Michael Russo believes that there is a growing possibility that Fiala could be moved if the tension between he and Evason continues to boil over.
"He's a pending restricted free agent with the right to become an unrestricted free agent in 2023," wrote Russo following Saturday's loss.
"If the Wild can't afford him or just don't want to afford him or commit to him, it's very possible he'll be traded, perhaps even soon because he's not playing well and things are getting visibly uncomfortable between him and Evason."
The Swiss winger has recorded just 2 goals and 8 assists through 17 games with the Wild so far this season.
Source: The Athletic
| G | A | PTS | ||
| Complete stats | ||||
| STANDINGS 2024-2025 | ||||||
TOP 10 | GP | W | L | OL | PTS | |
Jets | 20 | 17 | 3 | - | 34 | |
Wild | 19 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 29 | |
Hurricanes | 19 | 14 | 5 | - | 28 | |
Devils | 22 | 13 | 7 | 2 | 28 | |
Capitals | 19 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 27 | |
Golden Knights | 20 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 26 | |
Maple Leafs | 20 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 26 | |
Rangers | 18 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 25 | |
Panthers | 20 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 25 | |
Flames | 20 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 25 | |
| Conference | Cumulative | ||||||