General managers, prepare your pitches and owners, open your chequebooks. The Mike Babcock sweepstakes could begin any time now.
The Detroit Red Wings were eliminated from the playoffs with a 2-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 7 on Wednesday night. Immediately the attention turned to Babcock, the hottest coaching free agent on the market.
In his post-game news conference, Babcock declined to directly address his future but left clues he may not be long for Detroit. Babcock wondered aloud who's going to replace 37-year-old star Pavel Datsyuk down the road, and that same question can be asked for 35-year-old captain Henrik Zetterberg and 34-year-old defenceman Niklas Kronwall.