It was almost a foregone conclusion at the beginning of this season that Mike Babcock wasn't long for Detroit.
But a surprisingly positive start to the season could have him rethinking his exit out of the Motor City - assuming the Red Wings are willing to pony up the dough.
"At the start of the season, Babcock and Wings GM Ken Holland said that they wouldn't publicly discuss Babcock's contract situation," writes Art Regner of FOXSports.com. "Behind the scenes, however, a source close to the team says that Detroit is willing to make him the NHL's highest-paid coach (more than $3 million per season) and Babcock is listening."
That whole "highest paid coach in the league" thing would probably cause just about anyone to stop and listen, even a coach like Babcock, who was ready to make his exit based as much on what he saw as an overall fading talent level on the team, as on his compensation.
Babcock, who is in the final year of his current deal, has long been rumored as a possible fit in Toronto, where crazy Maple Leafs fans would no doubt salivate at the thought of him pacing behind their bench.
The only apparent impediment to a contract extension keeping him in Detroit for the foreseeable future though is the contract's length.
"The source says that the length of the deal is what appears to be a major stumbling block; Babcock is playing hardball to a point where many in the Wings organization feel he's being unreasonable."
The Red Wings have improved greatly this season thanks to Stephen Weiss' and Darren Helm's healthy returns, the return to form of Jimmy Howard and a group of youngsters including Gustav Nyquist, Tomas Tatar, Danny DeKeyser and Luke Glendening, who have all continued to mature.
With another group of promising youngsters at the AHL level, perhaps there is potential for the Red Wings brass to talk Babcock out of his "unreasonable" demands.
