The Detroit Red Wings' season has gone much better than most NHL pundits expected.
The Philadelphia Flyers' season has gone as bad as, or worse, than projected.
Red Wings coach Mike Babcock was rumored to be on the way out of Detroit prior to the season, but the team's rejuvenation and unexpectedly positive overall play has calmed much of the speculation and soothed many of the fears of Babcock's departure.
Flyers coach Craig Berube continues to avoid the finger of blame even as the Philly season continues to slip away through missed opportunities and putrid defensive performances and despite the obvious questions of his long-term prospects with the organization.
Now, we can add a little interest to both of these storylines, as TSN's Darren Dreger revealed Wednesday on an episode of Winnipeg's TSN 1290, as transcribed by NicholsOnHockey.com, that the Flyers and GM Ron Hextall would have ample interest in giving Babcock the key to their frustrated franchise were he to leave Detroit after the season.
"We keep linking Babcock to the Toronto Maple Leafs because that's what we in the media speculated. But let's not assume there won't be other teams interested in Mike Babcock as an unrestricted free agent coach as well, who perhaps are willing to pay that kind of money," Dreger said.
"Do you think Philadelphia is thrilled with the job Craig Berube is doing right now? Things are going sour in Philadelphia. It's not all on the coach. But there's another team that would like to take a swing, I'm sure, at Babcock if he leaves Detroit."
The question, as always, is value. Will Babcock, reportedly toying with a $3 million a year deal from Detroit, expect the same, or better, elsewhere?
And does it bode ill for his future in Detroit the longer he goes without signing a new contract?
"But if he leaves Detroit, and there's reason to believe that he will - he hasn't signed his extension yet - then he's going to command top dollar," Dreger said. "Top dollar, in my world, is going to be somewhere around $4 million. But could it reach as high as 5? I guess it depends on how eager the suitors, be it Toronto, Philadelphia, or someone else, are willing to spend and how eager they are to get him."
Babcock's situation is certainly one that GMs across the league will be keeping an eye on as he would instantly become the hottest commodity in the NHL if he became available.
