After four straight post-season appearances and four straight early exits, many members of the Minnesota Wild's organization are on the hot seat to achieve playoff success before their window closes.

We’re still in the midst of the NHL’s 2023-24 off-season, but no matter what time of year it is, there’s pressure on the athletes, team owners, coaches and GMs in hockey’s top league. That’s what we’re focusing on in this THN.com hot seat series.

Moving through teams in alphabetical order, we’re identifying three to four people per team who are on some sort of hot seat. One NHL player, team owner, GM or coach will go on the hot seat as someone dealing with considerable pressure to have a high-impact performance in 2023-24 or land in the team’s doghouse. A second person will go on the warm seat as someone not facing an imminent firing or trade but whose time with their team could come to an end this year. A third player, team owner, GM or coach will go on the cold seat, identifying them as very likely to remain with their team for the foreseeable future.

Wild Hot Seat: Dean Evason, Coach

Evason was hired in 2020 and his Wild teams have made the post-season in all four years he’s been helming the ship, but Evason’s playoff record in that span is 8-15, certainly not ideal. He’s going to be challenged to keep Minnesota’s post-season streak alive this year, what with Central Division teams in Dallas, St. Louis, Colorado, Winnipeg and Nashville all being in the mix for one of four (or possibly five) playoff berths.

Wild GM Bill Guerin clearly continues to have faith in Evason, but that could change if Minnesota is slow out of the gate, or at any point in the season, for that matter. The coaching carousel feels like it turns faster than ever these days, and like many of his colleagues, Evason knows full well he needs to get the Wild at the very least beyond the first round, or deal with being dismissed. Five seasons can seem like an eternity to the NHL coaching fraternity, and Evason must deliver bottom-line improvement or have his job security jeopardized.

Wild Warm Seat: Marcus Foligno, LW

Foligno has spent his past six seasons in Minnesota, carving out a place for himself as a high-energy, physical competitor, and in 74 games in 2021-22, he posted career-highs in goals (23), assists (19) and points (42). But this past season, Foligno’s totals dropped to seven goals and 21 points in 65 games, and he’s entering the final season of a contract that’s carried an annual salary cap hit of $3.1 million. That’s probably too pricey for a third-line winger, especially given that the Wild have only 12 players under contract for 2024-25 and just $20.6 million in cap space.

All of which is to say that while Foligno may not be traded by Guerin as the Wild attempt to make the playoffs, Foligno may simply be moved on from next summer when a team is more prepared and willing to give him the same type of payday than Minnesota likely can afford. At 32 years old, his window to win is shrinking rapidly, and he may choose to take another run at a Stanley Cup with a different employer.

Wild Cold Seat: Kirill Kaprizov, LW

Kaprizov is heading into year three of his five-year, $45-million contract, and he delivers great value for his salary, leading Minnesota in goals (40), points (75) and minutes-by-a-forward average (21:07) in just 67 games. The 26-year-old is the Wild’s highest-paid player for good reason. He’s an electric performer who makes his teammates better and that’s not going to change anytime soon. Minnesota will go nowhere if Kaprizov struggles, but nobody foresees that happening.

Minnesota is probably going to be in a dogfight for a playoff spot, and that’s even if Kaprizov continues to shine. He’s their most valuable player, and he’s demonstrated he can handle the accompanying expectations and keep on thriving.