Multiple reports indicate that the Toronto Maple Leafs have hired Mike Babcock as their next head coach, successfully luring him away from the Detroit Red Wings after a decade in charge there. All it took was a cool eight-year, $50 million contract, according to reports.
That’s by far the largest contract ever awarded to an NHL head coach, and now Babcock will coach in hockey’s biggest and toughest market with a team that’s … well, not ready to compete just yet. But no matter what you think of that large contract, it does feel like the Leafs are starting to make the right moves finally — especially when you can spend big money in places where, unlike your roster, there’s no salary cap.
The smart moves continue with stuff like this:
To make this day even crazier, Guy Boucher is meeting with TOR. Assistant coach?
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) May 20, 2015
Two top-tier NHL coaching candidates for the open jobs this summer … might go to the same team? A tandem of Mike Babcock and Guy Boucher behind the Toronto bench sure would be fun. Add in Brendan Shanahan up top and the Leafs are star-studded everywhere but on the ice.
Where were the Flyers?
Here’s the question, of course:
Should the Flyers have been in the mix? Knowing the money it would have cost to land Babcock, and now knowing that the Flyers apparently weren’t even in on the conversation and that they preferred Dave Hakstol as their coach, what are your thoughts? Do you like what Ron Hextall’s doing, or do you wish the Flyers were truly in on Babcock like Toronto, Detroit, Buffalo and others? Let us know in the comments.
