I wouldn't exactly say moving up his decision deadline is considered "dragging his feet".

I'd take Hitch in a heart beat if we cant land Babs......if you don't want Richardson for the reasons you stated that's fine, but isn't Hitch the opposite of Richardson, thus the type of coach we'd want?
- Homer

I'm just not a fan of Hitchcock. The moderate level of achievement with the talent in St. Louis has the Blues looking elsewhere. Not sure he's the guy to develop a core of youngsters. He may be a better choice than Richardson, but I'm just not sold on him.

I'm just not a fan of Hitchcock. The moderate level of achievement with the talent in St. Louis has the Blues looking elsewhere. Not sure he's the guy to develop a core of youngsters. He may be a better choice than Richardson, but I'm just not sold on him.
- Terrier13

Talent level StL? Don't see a Toews or Kopitar equivalent to get them over the top. Easy for us to be back seat drivers. Its even easier to pick a mediocre coach than one with a championship pedigree. Look at Paul Mclean, 8 year alumni of the Babcock system, excellent the first year, Jack Adams Coach of the Year second year, then fired after 3 1/2 years.

Talent level StL? Don't see a Toews or Kopitar equivalent to get them over the top. Easy for us to be back seat drivers. Its even easier to pick a mediocre coach than one with a championship pedigree. Look at Paul Mclean, 8 year alumni of the Babcock system, excellent the first year, Jack Adams Coach of the Year second year, then fired after 3 1/2 years.
- freeman49

There is more talent on the Blues roster than the Sabres, even if you add Eichel. I'm just not sold on Hitchcock being able to develop younger players.

Garth, you are slipping. There are 2 more in on the Babcock sweepstakes and you failed to make a new blog. Tsk, Tsk.

So you're saying that Armstrong is greasy because he's interviewing Babcock? Doesn't that make Babcock just as greasy if not more? Wow, maybe he's not the messiah?

I really hope the Sabres have been interviewing other coaching candidates since Nolan was fired... If not, and they are putting all their eggs in the Babcock basket I'll lose a lot of respect for Murray and the Sabres ownership.... I'm just sick of this love fest for Babcock and wish he would just stay with Detroit

I wouldn't exactly say moving up his decision deadline is considered "dragging his feet".
- SayBeers

100% agreed. He is doing his due diligence to drive up his price.

Seriously, the Blues are "greasy" for interviewing Babcock? You're clueless. Babcock and Hitchcock know each other very well, and it's pretty obvious that Hitch isn't coming back to coach the Blues. Also, Armstrong and Hitchcock are good friends, so he wouldn't be interviewing Babcock behind Hitchcock's back. If anything, the rumor I've heard in St. Louis makes more sense than your babble........and that is that Babcock would be coach, with Hitchcock as a consultant. All three of these guys know each other very well from Team Canada, so you would be wrong to dismiss the Blues chances here.

Greasy?

I'm just not a fan of Hitchcock. The moderate level of achievement with the talent in St. Louis has the Blues looking elsewhere. Not sure he's the guy to develop a core of youngsters. He may be a better choice than Richardson, but I'm just not sold on him.
- Terrier13

well who are you sold on thats available

GARTH'S CORNER: Should He Stay Or Should He Go?
- garth

After visiting Buffalo.....what on Earth could he hope to find appealing in San Jose?

Right now I think this is all a game for Babcock to learn more about other organizations and its players and bring this new knowledge back to Detroit, where he stays, to see what can be done to improve his team going forward

well who are you sold on thats available
- Homer

I don't know if he will be available but Kevin Dineen would be a good choice. Rather have Bylsma than Hitchcock as well.

I just want the opportunity to prove the haters wrong.

So this is a surprise:

BREAKING: Dave Hakstol has been named the 19th head coach in #Flyers history

So this is a surprise:

BREAKING: Dave Hakstol has been named the 19th head coach in #Flyers history
- Terrier13

Who?

Somebody clue me in, por favor.

If Babcock's contract is expiring, why are both BUF and TOR expressing a willingness to pony up a third round pick? Can't we get him as a free agent coach?

Somebody clue me in, por favor.

If Babcock's contract is expiring, why are both BUF and TOR expressing a willingness to pony up a third round pick? Can't we get him as a free agent coach?
- bflobillww

Because it doesn't expire till the 30th, until then he's technically red wings property, thus the compensation/permission.

"babs" is still the wings coach until end of june. is it greasy that he is out interviewing for a job?

This is all a charade to squeeze a few more bucks out of Illitch and convince Holland to stay the course for a couple more runs with the current core group of players.

Babcock will remain in Detroit for 3 years and then revisit the Toronto option at that time.

Buffalo was never a serious contender mainly because of his wife's refusal to uproot the family to come to Western New York.

Time to move on to more realistic candidates for the job.

I hope we get Bylsma but am expecting Luke Richardson, who has been Murray's guy from day one.

This is all a charade to squeeze a few more bucks out of Illitch and convince Holland to stay the course for a couple more runs with the current core group of players.

Babcock will remain in Detroit for 3 years and then revisit the Toronto option at that time.

Buffalo was never a serious contender mainly because of his wife's refusal to uproot the family to come to Western New York.

Time to move on to more realistic candidates for the job.

I hope we get Bylsma but am expecting Luke Richardson, who has been Murray's guy from day one.
- Losman

Per 89, the report that Murray has this love fest with Richardson isn't entirely true. He likes him, hired him, respects him and the job he's done, yet there are other candidates Murray has higher on his list.

However, he's the first ever to captain all three teams:

Team Canada World Juniors, Olympics, World Championships

You don't even know which championships are part of the triple goal club?

He's staying.

If Toronto was as far along in their rebuild as the Sabres, he might have gone there. Maybe he will eventually end up in TO when his next deal with the Wings expires.

I doubt he was ever that serious about the Buffalo option beyond Pegula's ability to increase his market value.

At least we can begin to discuss more realistic candidates for the Sabres job this week. I hope they cast a wide net.

- Losman

As long as it isn't some AHL coach or a boring defensive coach like DeBoer I'm good with it.

Honestly think it's a two horse race between Toronto and Detroit. Yes, Buffalo has the best stable of prospects in the league but Detroit has a very good pipeline as well and they are in a much better position to win right now. The big three still have a few good years left and you've got Nyquist/Tatar/Mrazek/Mantha/Larkin to build around. Don't see how he leaves home for potential success in Buffalo unless it's just about the money.

In Toronto it's simply about legacy. Winning there would be the biggest challenge obviously, but bringing a cup to TO would be monumental, way bigger than it would be anywhere else.
- lomez

Winning a Cup anywhere would be a monumental event. Why wouldn't it be a big thing in Buffalo? It'd be our first Stanley Cup in franchise history. So lets not go overboard with this Toronto winning a Cup would be such a monumental thing. It'd be just as big in Buffalo, Montreal, San Jose etc....

At least we likely got a nice consolation prize when we lost out on getting McDavid.

Who is the coaching consolation prize for the Sabres?

Does Pegula go from pursuing the top coach in the league to allowing his GM to hire his guy, neophyte Luke Richardson? Such a move would represent an enormous step down in class.

I think that the Sabres have to consider known commodities for the job now that they have likely missed out on Babcock.

Dan Bylsma and Randy Carlyle have won a Cup each and should be among the top candidates for the job.

Never-won-anything retreads like Pete DeBoer, Guy Boucher, Claude Noel, Cory Clousten and Craig Hartsburg would be such uninspiring hires for this franchise.
- Losman

Randy Carlyle? Probably one of the worst coaches out there. So overrated.

Boucher and Bylsma are the two I'd look at. Both have coaching styles that would be great for this team. Also I'd add Tippett into the conversation as well if he opts out of the final year of his contract with the Coyotes.