Yeo had been the head coach since the 2011-12 season, and in that time, the Wild were no better than second best in their division and in three straight seasons, saw their playoff season end at the hand of the Chicago Blackhawks. Even with the signings of both Zach Parise and Ryan Suter prior to the 2012-13 season, as well as a fairly well-stocked prospect pool for a time, the Wild were never able to be anything more than middle of the road contenders. The low point in Yeo's tenure was a blow-up after a practice last season. This season, the Wild are struggling for their playoff lives and many of the players expected to produce haven't done so to their standards. It will now be up to Torchetti, last seen coaching the AHL affiliate in Iowa, to get through to a team that hasn't played to their full potential. The coaching move this late in the season may also be a referendum on General Manager Cliff Fletcher, who has made questionable signings in his time, most notably the Thomas Vanek deal prior to last season.
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