Ken Hitchcock’s future with the St. Louis Blues and in the NHL is a mystery. Meanwhile, Mike Babcock has been linked to numerous teams and is pretty much the biggest free agent available this summer. The two coaches appear to be on opposite sides of the spectrum, but a recent article from the Toronto Sun proves the two have a lot in common.
Here’s an interesting quote from an unnamed NHL GM, via the Toronto Sun:
“You have one coach with one playoff series win in four years that everybody wants to hire, and one coach with exactly the same record, one playoff win in four years, that everybody wants to fire.”
That’s a pretty interesting take. The article goes one step further.
The Blues have been something of a playoff disaster under Hitchcock — that is the why his job is on the line — winning only 10 of 27 post-season games in his time in St. Louis and getting eliminated three times in a row in the first round.
The much-coveted Babcock, who will be paid more money than any coach in NHL history when he signs his new deal, has coached 31 playoff games in the same period: His Red Wings have won 12 of them.
The article discusses international play as well and goes on to state that it’s all about perception. Babcock is labeled as a playoff hero and has what it takes to win a Cup. Hitchcock is labeled as a strong regular season coach, but he ultimately falls short when it counts. The facts of late (as evidenced above) don’t support these notions, but that’s where we are.
What will happen for the two coaches? Babcock is going to get paid. It’s not clear where he’ll coach, but he’ll likely be the highest-paid NHL coach. Hitchcock will likely return to the Blues (if the recent reports prove to be true) and he’ll be severely scrutinized even though he and the widely-sought Babcock have similar recent track records.
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