Detroit Red Wings: Babcock is Center of Bidding War
Detroit Red Wings may now have more competition for head coach Mike Babcock. This time it is a team that many thought may not be in the race long-term; the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Toronto and Buffalo in bidding war for Babcock. No decision yet. Hearing Red Wings final offer was 5 years at $4 million per.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) May 20, 2015
Babcock seemed to be in deep contract talks with the Buffalo Sabres according to sources yesterday and well into the this morning.
Still waiting for final word, but seems like things are progressing well for Sabres with Mike Babcock.
— John Vogl (@BuffaloVogl) May 20, 2015
Report: Mike Babcock in talks with @BuffaloSabres. http://t.co/0tg06RWYjP pic.twitter.com/rYdHuR5Fvl
— NHL (@NHL) May 20, 2015
With Toronto know in the game for Babcock, does that mean we will have to wait longer for his decision? Who knows, no one seems to really know what is going to happen with Babcock. Bob McKenzie put it perfectly that this decision can go either way.
On #BabcockWatch, there should be no shame in admitting we're all still, more or less, guessing on outcome, as next 3 tweets illustrate:
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) May 20, 2015
"@BuffNewsVogl: Still waiting for final word, but seems like things are progressing well for Sabres with Mike Babcock." Example No. 1.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) May 20, 2015
Example No. 2: one of Babcock's NHL coaching colleagues firmly believes he's staying put in DET.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) May 20, 2015
Example No. 3: while it was all DET or BUF talk yesterday, it was suggested this morning TOR not entirely out of picture.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) May 20, 2015
All Babcock gave us was a date that he was going to make his choice, he didn’t give us a time. We could find out at noon today, or we could find out during the second intermission of the New York Rangers Tampa Bay Lightning game tonight. No one really knows and that is that.
Now the bidding war will more than likely continue, it will be interesting to see if Toronto goes full-out for Babcock. Will Buffalo give up? How badly do these two teams want this one coach? This only ends well for one person that being Mike Babcock, he gets paid and get to go coach a team of his choice.
Stay connected here to Detroit Jock City for all your Detroit Red Wings news and continuous coverage of Babcock watch.
Update
According to Bob McKenzie, Buffalo has dropped out of the running for Babcock
Sources in BUF say they are OUT on Mike Babcock. Not going to BUF.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) May 20, 2015
According to another TSN insider through McKenzie the Detroit Red Wings are also out for Babcock
According to @TSNAaronWard, DET is out on Babcock. BUF is out. That leaves TOR, STL and SJ.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) May 20, 2015
Stay tunned for more updates if they come.
Next: Mike Babcock's choices have dwindled