News Article: McKenzie: Leafs, Flyers, Bruins, Ducks could make a run at Babcock

[hyduK]

Meh.

I'm not worried. Unless the Leafs win the lottery, get McDavid, and then offer Babs GM + Coach, he won't even consider going there.

 

[Boomhower]

Everything to do with the Toronto Media is absolutely infuriating to me!!!!!!

The whole structure of basically all Toronto media outlets owning the Maple Leafs is disgraceful.
The sale should have been stopped or strict guidelines put in place!

Bob MacKenzie works for, and is a paid employee of, Bell/Global Media Inc.
Bell/Global own the Toronto Maple Leafs.

How is he allowed to rumor monger about another organizations personnel?
Especially when he is saying his own company is going hard after Babcock?

He is either a complete Liar and making up a story....
Or he is tampering, because he indeed knows the intentions of his own company. And is making those intentions VERY, VERY public.

As far as I'm concerned Shanahan himself might aswell have come out said we are trying to sign Babcock. What difference does it make?

This is tampering at it's finest.

 

[FissionFire]

Babcock should take the Wings to the Finals and lose, then jump ship back to Anaheim. Just to complete the circle lol

Seriously though, Anaheim is a place I could see him going to. He's coached there before so it's a town he's familiar with. Plus the Ducks current roster AND prospect pool are both better than Detroits. Their short and long term outlooks are both much better in my opinion. Could see Babs going for it.

 

[Satrebil]

Babcock should take the Wings to the Finals and lose, then jump ship back to Anaheim. Just to complete the circle lol

Seriously though, Anaheim is a place I could see him going to. He's coached there before so it's a town he's familiar with. Plus the Ducks current roster AND prospect pool are both better than Detroits. Their short and long term outlooks are both much better in my opinion. Could see Babs going for it.

Speculation...suppose it's a possibility.

That the Ducks system is better is arguable. Hockey's Future ranks Detroit's prospects at #4, Anaheim at #5.

 

[detredWINgs]

Speculation...suppose it's a possibility.

That the Ducks system is better is arguable. Hockey's Future ranks Detroit's prospects at #4, Anaheim at #5.

But it probably doesnt include Vaatanen, Lindholm, and Fowler in there, does it? No. Ducks have much more established (and better) youth on defense than the Wings do and their best forwards are not yet over the hill. The Wings best forwards are, while our defense is nothing to write home about and certainly not set up for the future like the Ducks is.

 

[Frk It]

I can understand the appeal of Anaheim, but why would they fire their current coach? Aren't they doing well?

Will say, I bet that Babcock has a huge man crush on Ryan Getzlaf.

 

[RedWingsForPresident]

I can't see Anaheim giving up that much for a coach when they don't even spend to the cap

 

[TheRatPoisoner]

I can see Babcock going to the Leafs if three things line up:

1) Win the draft lottery and get McDavid, which would significantly hasten a rebuild and ensure the health of the franchise for years to come.

2) Fire Nonis and give Babcock a substantial amount of control over the direction of the Leafs

3) Back up the Brinks truck to his house

If these three things happen, I think there's a really good possibility that he heads to the Leafs. Other than that though, I doubt he wants to go to a rebuilding organization. He's been pretty clear about the most important thing to him right now being winning.

I can see him heading to the Ducks too, providing they meet his salary demands.

 

[Claypool]

I can understand the appeal of Anaheim, but why would they fire their current coach? Aren't they doing well?

If Bruce gets knocked out early in the playoffs again the have a good reason to fire him.

I still wonder if Babcock would want to go back to the Western Conference travel schedule, though.

 

[detredWINgs]

People keep talking about money and how Babs wants to boost the market for coaches overall. But at some point you have to consider that an astronomical salary for Babcock might have the opposite effect - owners may see Babs as an anomaly if his price tag reaches too high.

Also, why is no one talking about the stigma and pressure that would come with a heavy salary? $4-5M? Sure. Quenneville allegedly makes around $3M so $4-5M isn't nuts. But get beyond that and Babcock is setting the bar sky high for himself. What can you offer that can justify making double the next best coach in the NHL? At that point, anything short of perennial Conference Finals appearances is falling short, assuming he goes to an established, healthy franchise as we expect. It's an even more daunting prospect than a team's highest paid players because when you're the head coach of a team coming with no assembly required, there is very little to hide behind if you don't have success.

Considering that, I think the situation much more than the money is going to influence Babs. IMO, as long as someone can offer him at least $3.5M, they'll be in the running if they have a great situation.

 

[YostisHome]

I think the bigger the dumpster fire Toronto becomes....the more appealing it becomes to Babs. Hear me out, bar is low already there...he can blow it completely up, build it his way... low expectations will buy him some time, in his mind eventually he will turn it around, he will be a Canadian god if he wins one for them.

 

[TatarTangle]

I think the bigger the dumpster fire Toronto becomes....the more appealing it becomes to Babs. Hear me out, bar is low already there...he can blow it completely up, build it his way... low expectations will buy him some time, in his mind eventually he will turn it around, he will be a Canadian god if he wins one for them.

Tonight's game certainly threw some gas on the fire

 

[GBFP]

Babcock is about wins and cups - he ain't going to a TML rebuild with would take five years to bear fruit and become a legit contender. IF he leaves Detroit it will be to go to a contender with solid youth in the pipeline and a younger core or an on the cusp type team.

 

[TheRatPoisoner]

I think the bigger the dumpster fire Toronto becomes....the more appealing it becomes to Babs. Hear me out, bar is low already there...he can blow it completely up, build it his way... low expectations will buy him some time, in his mind eventually he will turn it around, he will be a Canadian god if he wins one for them.

I agree with ya to an extent. I think Babs cares about his legacy. And bringing an original 6 franchise back from the dead would solidify his place in coaching history, guaranteed.

At the same time, I don't see him wanting to be part of a protracted rebuild. That's why, as a few people above have pointed out, I think it'll take Toronto winning the McLottery for Babcock to even begin to consider going to the Leafs.

 

[Tyler Biggs*]

Let him name the price. Not like the Leafs have any problems financially, if he asks for 10 a year give it to him. This is a guy that will flip any organization around.

 

[Tyler Biggs*]

I was never a Babcock fan but let's face it ..... this guy takes what ever he has for a line up and instills the "compete at all cost" attitude in every player. Show of hands ...... how many of us really thought the Red Wings would be a playoff team this year? Me included. Despite a rebuild strategy taking place ...... the right people are driving the ship. I have a lot of respect for Brendan Shanahan ..... he too is a winner .... and he is the perfect guy to lead this organization out of the weeds. With Babcock on board ..... we should see players "wanting" to come to Toronto instead on declining to even vist the city in the off season.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

I think the bigger the dumpster fire Toronto becomes....the more appealing it becomes to Babs. Hear me out, bar is low already there...he can blow it completely up, build it his way... low expectations will buy him some time, in his mind eventually he will turn it around, he will be a Canadian god if he wins one for them.

I am always confused by this.... What exactly is Babcock's current standing in Canada? It seems to be there already, in all honesty all he can really do is kill his good standing in one swift train-wreck tenure in Toronto. It doesn't have to be super bad and it will take some of the shine off, getting GM controls is huge if he goes there that way he can at least salvage his coaching reputation when it goes belly up.

Mike Babcock could very well be the Mike Holmgren of hockey. At least that is an across sport comparison I would draw up. While Holmgren wasn't terrible in Seattle he only got back after he gave up his GM powers and his standing in the game still took a hit from his time in Green Bay. His genius status basically went down the toilet in Cleveland. Given what we know of Toronto they are a lot like the Cleveland Browns or Detroit Lions, a pitiful organization.

I will wish him luck, but I won't lie if he leaves for the money grab and power hungry play I will enjoy watching him fail and doing so in immense scrutiny. I might eat crow on it, but honestly I doubt it. I don't think Babcock can fix Toronto barring McDavid or Eichel and more significant luck. Their five year window even in the era of parity should be hoping to get to the playoffs, hard to see that right now, they look to be in Edmonton and NYI for a long time territory in my opinion.

 

[Brodie]

honestly, I wonder if the Islanders would be interested if they don't advance very far in the playoffs. It'd certainly be a splashy move for them as they arrive in Brooklyn.

 

[Squirrel in the Hole]

If Babcock moves on it will be for the challenge, not the money. The money will be there no matter where he goes.

He's basically built this team, and as more kids become incorporated in the lineup, it's more and more his team. Aside from Kenny getting Tootoo and Colaiacovo a few years back, Holland and Babcock have been in lock-step. Look at our deals at the deadline.

There are only two scenarios where the grass would be greener: a young team that Babcock could mould and bring to the next level (the Islanders would fit that scenario, although I'm not sure Babs would enjoy the New York media, maybe he could hire Tortorella as an assistant and let him take the pressers ) or the chance to coach Crosby. I somehow doubt he'd ever work for Shanny or Stevie in the NHL, and Boudreau is one of the best coaches not named Babcock in the NHL.

I personally think he stays or goes to Pittsburgh.

 

[mindfly]

Let him leave and bring up Blashill

 

[Fugu]

List of teams not interested in Babcock:

Detroit.

(If we get to the point where he's available.)

 

[SoupGuru]

Does anyone really think Babcock wants GM-type duties? I never got the impression Babcock was bored with coaching and needed to fill a few more hours of his day with running a front office.

 

[Henkka]

Does anyone really think Babcock wants GM-type duties? I never got the impression Babcock was bored with coaching and needed to fill a few more hours of his day with running a front office.

Not really. It's just this Toronto Media speculation ********.

 

[SoupNazi]

I was never a Babcock fan but let's face it ..... this guy takes what ever he has for a line up and instills the "compete at all cost" attitude in every player. Show of hands ...... how many of us really thought the Red Wings would be a playoff team this year? Me included. Despite a rebuild strategy taking place ...... the right people are driving the ship. I have a lot of respect for Brendan Shanahan ..... he too is a winner .... and he is the perfect guy to lead this organization out of the weeds. With Babcock on board ..... we should see players "wanting" to come to Toronto instead on declining to even vist the city in the off season.

I think many,if not the majority of the fans on this board expected to see Detroit make the playoffs, since we are Wings fans.

Babcock has never been much of a lure for free agents to Detroit, which has a good team; I think you're overstating what he's going to be able to do to lure free agents to a team that's undergoing the beginning of yet another in a long line of unsuccessful rebuilds.

Detroit.

(If we get to the point where he's available.)

I agree. I think at the point where he chooses to test the market, Detroit starts looking elsewhere.

 

[Beaviz81]

I don't see Babcock leaving Detroit unless something really dramatic happens. I mean, Detroit haven't even screwed up in the playoffs on his watch always giving a fight. And I think you are bouncing back after a few years as a second-rate team. Should he have left it would have been during those where you nary scrathed into the playoffs, and as other people has pointed out, unless he make really sick demands Detroit can foot the bill of having him.