ST. PAUL — Minnesota Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher is about to embark on another coaching search, the third of his tenure and a critical one for the immediate future of the team and Fletcher’s own standing as the leader in the front office.

A three-month scramble to get to the playoffs hasn’t left him much time to consider the exact qualities Fletcher is looking for in the next coach. But he did acknowledge that the best man for the job may be sitting right in front of him.

Fletcher called interim coach John Torchetti “definitely a very serious candidate” to be the team’s permanent coach in his end-of-the-season media briefing on Thursday.

“The great thing is I know John. I know his personality. I know his work ethic,” Fletcher said. “You don’t have to spend a lot of time like you would do in a normal interview getting to know each other. It’s just about how his vision and my vision align. I look forward to that conversation.”

Torchetti took over for the fired Mike Yeo in February and helped turn around the Wild. He inherited a team that had gone 1-11-2 in its previous 14 games to plummet out of the playoff picture. The Wild finished 17-15-1 under Torchetti, including the first-round playoff loss to Dallas.

The break-neck finish to the regular season and the emotional rollercoaster of the six-game loss to the Stars in the playoffs has left Fletcher with little time to think about the next coach. He wouldn’t put a timetable on his decision, but said there is no rush to get one hired.