The crash course John Hynes taught last season after taking over as coach of the Wild helped the team turn the page on its lousy start.

Case in point: The Wild won more games than they lost with Hynes at the helm, and they climbed within three points of a playoff spot in mid-March before falling out of the race.

But the team will still be starting from scratch when Hynes leads his first training camp in September.

"Every year is different," Hynes said. "We did win more than we lost, but we didn't win enough. That's where there are some good things to draw on, but I do think every year is a new year."

Hynes will reintroduce the habits and details of his scheme, tactics that should sink in quickly with returning players since Hynes implemented them on the fly last year after replacing the fired Dean Evason 19 games into the season.

Some philosophies clicked; the Wild were successful at breakouts and playing quickly, Hynes pointed out.

Their offensive-zone structure and rush offense, however, can be improved, as well as their much-maligned penalty kill.

"There are some really good foundations from last year," Hynes said. "But there are some areas that can be better."

Personnel turnover has been minimal, but Hynes will be working with a different roster.

Trade pickup Jakub Lauko and free agent Yakov Trenin, whom the Wild signed to a four-year, $14 million contract, have a gritty style that the Wild lacked last season. Plus, a healthy team will give the lineup an updated look.

Forward Marcus Foligno and captain Jared Spurgeon haven't had any setbacks from their respective season-ending surgeries, Hynes said, and are on track to return.

"I'm excited," continued Hynes, who is looking for a house in Minnesota after staying at a hotel last season. His family is remaining in Nashville for one more season while his second daughter finishes high school.

At development camp last week, Hynes addressed the prospects and used the time to put faces to names.

He and his staff, which added Jack Capuano as an associate coach, have already huddled, but Hynes will really start preparing for training camp in mid-August.

"We have some good young guys that are really going to push for spots and playing time," Hynes said. "We'd like to have it as a competitive training camp, and talking with players — and I'm going to continue to talk to them through the summer — just the attitude we want to be able to come back with.

"I'm really excited for the group that we have and get off to a good start with training camp and then get ourselves ready to be at our best when the regular season starts."