Without a doubt, the biggest news in the hockey world this past week was that of the Toronto Maple Leafs deciding to terminate bench boss Mike Babcock. Many pundits have speculated on what is next for Babcock with his new found freedom following his departure in Toronto, but on Saturday night, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman shared his insights on the Babcock situation during the 2nd intermission on Hockey Night in Canada.
"The word around the league from some people who know him, is that he is going to take some time." said Friedman. This shouldn't come as much of a surprise, as Babcock is the highest paid coach in NHL history after signing an 8-year $50 million contract with the Maple Leafs in 2015. As such, Babcock can definitely afford to take his time and wait for the right offer to present itself. Many believe that the right opportunity is in Seattle as the first Head Coach in franchise history, but at this point it is all speculation, as Mike Babcock has not made any comments about his coaching future.
It goes without saying that things could change as the season progresses. There are many top teams from the 2018-19 campaign who have struggled in the first quarter who could use a coach of Babcock's ilk to help turn things around -- namely the Calgary Flames or the Nashville Predators -- but until a decision is made on any other underperforming bench bosses, things will remain status quo.
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