The Wild is in the midst of its second general manager search in barely a year, and rarely have we seen a team so desperately in need of image reboot.
Check that. Maybe it's not as rare as we think.
After all, their winter sports competitors across the river, the Timberwolves, delivered a sorely needed image makeover a few months ago with the hiring of Gersson Rosas. And the Twins before them did the same thing in 2016 with the hiring of Derek Falvey and Thad Levine.
If the Wild and owner Craig Leipold can learn anything from those hires, it is this: The fastest way to look smart — and change the narrative that your organization is stuck in the past — is to hire modern-thinking executives who talk a good game.
That means enlisting a new general manager who will make changing the culture a point of emphasis, who repeatedly will insist on questioning existing norms (a Rosas favorite) while not just tolerating but legitimately embracing, integrating and innovating in the world of analytics.
The damage from Paul Fenton's tenure feels irreversible right now, but at least in terms of perception everything is temporary.
The Twins went from "total system failure" during their 103-loss 2016 season to receiving heaps of praise as they surge toward a possible 100-win season.
The Wolves haven't played a game yet under the Rosas regime, and already they are winning the battle of public opinion.