5 possible landing spots for Mike Babcock in 2020-21

1. The Seattle NHL Team

The yet unnamed Seattle expansion team doesn’t begin play until the 2021-22 season, so Babcock technically would not be coaching next season if he were hired.

With the hiring of long-time Carolina Hurricanes’ front office man Ron Francis as the franchise’s first general manager last summer, the Seattle team created some instant credibility for itself. With an eye on the instant success enjoyed by the Vegas Golden Knights, with a Stanley Cup Final appearance in their first season and a playoff appearance in their second campaign last year, Seattle seems ready to create instant expectations (however unrealistically).

A splashy head coaching hire may very well be next on the Seattle franchise’s agenda, as they look to hit the ground running. Now that he’s available, there would be no more splashy (and expensive, to be honest) a hire than Babcock. With the marketing side in mind, Babcock also of course brings inherent credibility and name recognition to spur interest from a new fan base.

Francis may have to lead a proactive approach to hire a coach, to get the one he really wants anyway, and there will be other suitors for Babcock after the season. It’s unlikely any feelers have been put out to Babcock yet, around 24 hours since the Maple Leafs fired him, but an attempt to gauge his interest in being Seattle’s first coach could come soon.