The NHL coaching carousel has finally stopped spinning. The Columbus Blue Jackets have hired Dean Evason as the 11th head coach in franchise history. Evason snatches the final opening after Pascal Vincent was let go very late in the off-season by the Blue Jackets. He takes over for a team that finished last in the Metropolitan Division last season and did very little to improve their roster this summer.

Evason was let go by the Minnesota Wild in November of 2023 amid a seven-game losing streak. He finished his time with the Wild with a 147-77-27 record over five seasons. He took the job as the interim in 2020 and earned the full-time gig by getting the team into the playoffs that season. The Wild made the playoffs in his first four seasons but failed to advance in any of them. The Wild moved on from Evason in favor of John Hynes. The team did not make the playoffs this season.

The Blue Jackets have struggled to find stability behind the bench in their short existence. Evason takes over for Vincent, who lasted just one season behind the bench. In their 24 seasons, they have never had someone coach more than 447 games, a mark held by John Tortorella. Tortorella also holds the only Jack Adams Award for best coach in franchise history for their 2016-17 campaign.

This was all brought to a head last off-season when Mike Babcock resigned his position with the Blue Jackets before even coaching a game amid an NHL Player's Association investigation into workplace conduct. Now, Evason takes over a fledgling team with name-brand players looking to get back in the playoffs for the first time since 2020.

Expectations for Dean Evason and Blue Jackets

Minnesota Wild head coach Dean Evason looks on during the first period against the Montreal Canadiens at Xcel Energy Center.
Matt Blewett-USA TODAY Sports

The Columbus Blue Jackets are not expected by just about anyone to make the playoffs. They posted the worst record in the entire Eastern Conference last year and added very little in the off-season. New general manager Don Waddell signed center Sean Monahan to a five-year contract as the only move of note. There are also reports that the team is looking to trade winger Patrik Laine. With sub-par goaltending and a lack of depth scoring, it's hard to see the Blue Jackets emerging from the basement of their division.

Evason has a big task on his hands with the current state of the Blue Jackets. The number one priority is to re-ignite Johnny Gaudreau. The winger signed a 7-year deal with the Blue Jackets in 2022 and has not performed to his career averages since arriving. He has 33 goals in his two seasons with the Blue Jackets, seven fewer than his final season with the Calgary Flames. If Gaudreau can get back to his Flames level of output, the team will benefit tremendously. That is part of the allure of Sean Monahan. The center was a part of the Flames teams with Gaudreau and playing together might spark both players.

Dean Evason has a chance to become a legend in Columbus as part of the group that finally brought the Blue Jackets to playoff glory. He also might be the next in a long line of Blue Jackets coaches to be shown the door very quickly like Pascal Vincent before him.