Detroit Red Wings: Mike Babcock's Future

Mike Babcock is in a rare coaching situation; he holds the power to decide his fate. Will he return to the Detroit Red Wings or look elsewhere?

Not many coaches have this luxury—choosing their future. Most, when the either miss the postseason or bow out early, like the Red Wings did last night, are fired by management. Babcock, who has been a staple in the organization, can actually become the highest paid coach in the NHL if he re-signs with Detroit.

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Respecting his leadership and all he has done for the organization, the Red Wings offered Babcock a multi-year deal worth more than $3 million per season. In Detroit, Babcock is treated like a king. He has a great relationship with general manager Ken Holland and he holds a lot of influence on player and personnel decisions. The team is essentially his to mold and develop. Who wouldn’t want that?

But maybe for Babcock it is time for a change. He has been with Detroit since 2005, and won the Stanley Cup in 2008. The team made it to the finals again the year after, losing in seven games to the Penguins, but that was the last time his team came close. The Red Wings have made the playoffs for a ridiculous 24 consecutive seasons, yet have failed to make it to the conference finals since 2009.

Feb 26, 2014; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Detroit Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock looks at the scoreboard during the second period against Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports

After his team lost in Game 7 in the first round of the playoffs to the Tampa Bay Lightning, Babcock refused to answer questions about his future. He did talk a little bit about the future of the Red Wings. Babcock pointed out that the team’s core players are in the mid to late 30s and that, despite what people believe, Pavel Datsyuk, is not indestructible and will not be able to play forever.

Via Yahoo Sports:

“We’ve got lots of good young players, no question about it, and ideally we’ve got some good ones coming,” Babcock said. “But who’s going to replace Pav? I don’t think Pav’s going anywhere right way. But I mean, that’s what you’ve got to do. In the end, you’ve got to have big-time players up the middle and on the back to be successful. So those are questions in our organization that we work towards, drafting good and developing good, but we don’t win too much. That’s the facts.”

Clearly a competitor, Babcock wants the team he coaches to be primed for the major prize, the Cup. If he does decide to stay, he may have his work cut out for him, with younger players in the lineup. Not to mention the pressure of making the playoffs again to keep the streak alive, as well as making a deeper run.

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And who is to say that, if he decides to leave, the Red Wings wouldn’t be better off as well. No disrespect to his coaching abilities, but sometimes change is a good thing. And maybe, just maybe, the Red Wings need a change. After all this, the Red Wings could just as easily turn around and say we don’t want you back.

Either way, fired or if he decides to leave, Babcock will be a hot commodity. Right now the Buffalo Sabres, Edmonton Oilers, New Jersey Devils, Philadelphia Flyers, San Jose Sharks and Toronto Maple Leafs all need a head coach. It’s still early in the offseason for most teams and we will likely see more coaching spots become available (Boston and St. Louis perhaps). If winning is the most important factor in choosing his future then Buffalo, Edmonton and even Toronto might not be his top choice.

Really, it all depends on what he is looking for. Is it about the money or how much control he’ll have or which team has the best chance for success? In the next few days we just might find out his intentions.

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