Babcock won't talk new contract but does drop subtle hints
Detroit coach Mike Babcock refused to discuss where he'll be coaching next year in his post-game press conference following Detroit's loss in Game 7 to Tampa Bay Wednesday night. The coach's contract in Detroit expires after this season, and while Babcock remained steadfast in his refusal to talk about the expiring contract all year, the discussion around the NHL for the majority of the 2014-15 campaign centered around Babcock's possible landing spots.
But while Babcock did not say anything directly about the topic, The Globe and Mail read into the comments he did make in his press conference to determine what Babcock wants in his next coaching job.
He mused openly about the Wings present roster, especially as their stars like Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg enter the NHL’s equivalent of old age. He pondered why they weren’t the favourites anymore.
He seems to wonder if they’re going to be in the near future.
“Our team is not as good as it was,” he told reporters in Tampa after the loss. “We battled our butt off just to get in the playoffs … Three of our best players are 34, 35 and 37… nobody on the outside picked us to be a Stanley Cup contender.”
Babcock can name his price in a lot of places. Buffalo, Edmonton, Philadelphia and Toronto especially have an endless supply of money to dump on someone they believe accelerates their path up the standings, and Babcock – for all his warts (and they exist) – certainly fits.
None of those teams are quick fixes, if being more competitive than the Wings (who have a very solid prospect pool) is what he’s after.
Ironically, The Globe and Mail suggested the two teams who have been most quiet about their head coach this season -- the Boston Bruins and St. Louis Blues -- could be the frontrunners for Babcock's services.
The Bruins were a disappointment this year, and the team fired general manager Peter Chiarelli when the Bruins failed to make the playoffs one season after winning the President's Trophy. Head coach Claude Julien still has a job with the team, but his position is tenuous after Bruins management said they would leave Julien's immediate future up to the next general manager.
The St. Louis Blues, on the other hand, made the playoffs but lost in the first round for the third consecutive year. Head coach Ken Hitchcock's contract is up after this season, meaning the Blues have an easy out if they do not want to bring Hitchcock back next year.
The enticement for Babcock with both teams, The Globe and Mail said, is the St. Louis and Boston rosters' potential to win quickly. But while Babcock's comments Wednesday night made him seem reticent to manage a roster without a bright future, The Globe and Mail said it is still impossible to know what Babcock wants out of his next coaching post.
Ultimately, with such a unique landscape, it’ll be entirely up to what he decides is important in what could become his final destination. Babcock is stubborn and self-assured, and that confidence in his abilities means it’s not a guarantee he’ll want to go where there are easy answers.
(h/t The Globe and Mail)
