Top 3 landing spots for former Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock.

The Toronto Maple Leafs made a move that many had been expecting for several months this week when they finally decided to part ways with veteran head coach Mike Babcock. It had become crystal clear to many that Babcock and Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas were simply not seeing eye to eye and there had even been reports over the summer suggesting that Dubas had attempted to fire Babcock only to be shut down by those who ranked above him in the Maple Leafs hierarchy. 

The Babcock era in Toronto is now officially over but the reality is that, although his reputation has unquestionably taken a major hit as a result of his stint in Toronto, Mike Babcock to this day remains one of the most universally respected coaches in the entire National Hockey League. This marked the first time that Babcock was fired during his many years of experience behind an NHL bench and now many are wondering what the next stop on the career of the highly respected head coach will be. The reality of course is that no one truly has any idea how this will all play out, however we can certainly speculate about which teams would make the most sense, at least in the short term. 

Here is our list of the 3 most likely landing spots for former Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock.

#1 Seattle (Insert team name here)

This one seems so obvious that you have to seriously wonder whether or not the writing may not already be on the wall for Babcock and the currently nameless Seattle franchise. The franchise currently has well respected former NHL player and general manager Ron Francis at the helm and looking at the current coaches available around the league there may simply be no better option for that franchise than Babcock. Not only would the acquisition of a big name like Babcock immediately add legitimacy to that franchise but it would also create quite the media buzz, a buzz that could help that franchise fill the building for the foreseeable future. 

#2 The Minnesota Wild.

The Wild currently have a very experienced head coach behind their bench but he just so happens to be a coach that was not appointed by the current general manager. Bruce Boudreau is a well respected coach in his own right but it was former Minnesota Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher who hired him to the position and since then the Wild have fired fletcher, hired Paul Fenton as their new general manager, fired Paul Fenton, and finally have hired Bill Guerin to take on that role. Guerin does not have any obvious connections to Mike Babcock but with Bruce Boudreau's contract running out at the end of this season he certainly could be looking to hire his own guy. If I had to guess I would strongly suspect that Guerin will be looking to tear down the Wild's roster following this season and having a coach with a wealth of experience in place could help him guide his new team into the future.

#3 The Tampa Bay Lightning.

Now admittedly this one is a long shot but hear me out. The Lightning signed current head coach Jon Cooper to a three year contract extension last season and so far it has simply not played out well for Lightning general manager Julien Brisebois. He gave Cooper the extension prior to the start of the playoffs and the Lightning were of course swept in brutal fashion by the Columbus Blue Jackets following that contract signing. Fast forward to the start of the 2019 - 2020 National Hockey League regular season and the Lightning have been slow coming out of the gate and could very well miss the playoffs if they maintain their current pace. Although there are no doubt some huge egos in the Lightning locker room Babcock has the pedigree with a Stanley Cup ring and two gold medals under his belt to establish himself immediately as a man to be respected. It may be a long shot, but if the Lightning were to hit a slump at any point this season this could be a very enticing move for that organization.

Honorable mentions: New Jersey Devils, Calgary Flames.