Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock will apparently do more than evaluate players at the World Hockey Championships in Prague over the next nine days or so. While mulling over a lucrative contract extension that would keep him in Detroit, he'll also be exploring his options with other NHL teams.
General manager Ken Holland, who has Babcock under wraps until his contract expires on June 30, is allowing his coach to talk with teams interested in his services -- but at a price.
"Mike Babcock can talk with any team that calls, as long as they're prepared to give us compensation if they hire Mike as coach," Holland told FOX Sports Detroit.
That compensation would be a third-round draft pick over the next three years.
Holland said he took calls from several teams immediately after the Wings were eliminated by Tampa Bay in the first round.
Holland and Babcock spent four hours together on Sunday -- on the drive to and from Grand Rapids to see the Griffins beat Toronto to advance in the Calder Cup playoffs -- but they didn't discuss salary or terms of a new deal.
Babcock said he preferred to see what options exist with other teams before he has that discussion with Holland.
Holland has given the coach until May 25 to meet with other clubs.
"I think he's happy here, but he'd like to know that this is the best situation for him going forward," Holland said. "And given that we've had 10 great years of service from him, I think he's earned the opportunity to speak to other teams that have an interest.
"I'm hoping that after he explores his options he decides he wants to be here because he feels it's the best for his family and his career."
That said, Holland is well aware of what happens with most highly regarded free agents -- more often than not, they leave.
And while the team has said money is no object -- pointing to the track record of owners Mike and Marian Ilitch spending to keep quality talent -- it really is. Babcock isn't going to fill in the numbers of a blank check.
If bidding gets heated and starts to ascend to the $5 million figure that some think it will, look for the Wings to back out and wish Babcock all the luck in the world at his next gig.
Holland has made two substantial offers to extend Babcock's contract: one last June and another in January believed to be worth $3.25 million over four years.
The Wings know they have a fine young coach-in-waiting in Jeff Blashill, who in Grand Rapids has developed a lot of the talent that helped Detroit -- a team widely predicted to miss the playoffs this spring -- amass 100 points and give highly regarded Tampa Bay fits in the opening round.
NHL clubs have sought permission to speak with him, too.
Babcock snubbed again
Babcock is widely described as the best coach in hockey -- or at least one of the best -- yet has never won the Jack Adams Award, which goes to the NHL coach deemed to have contributed the most to his team's success.
He was snubbed again this year in favor of finalists Bob Hartley of Calgary, Peter Laviolette of Nashville and Alain Vigneault of the New York Rangers.
The Jack Adams Award is voted on by members of the NHL Broadcasters Association.
They acknowledged Babcock as a finalist last year, which might have been the finest coaching we've seen in this league in a generation because of the way he willed his team into the playoffs with a team of kids rushed into NHL service.
Instead, last year's award went to Patrick Roy of Colorado.
