Kruppstahl

I'm going to say Luke Richardson is now Candidate #1, but I don't know. I hope Tim Murray casts a very wide net and looks far and wide for the best possible candidate. That is what Patty La La did and he found us a good GM. Blashill is my preferred #1 now, but he will almost certainly be coaching in Detroit.

Well if Buffalo is out, STL is out, SJ is out... I'm guessing TO. Then we have the tweet about the TO corporate jet revved up and ready to fly to Detroit and all that.

Jeremy Rutherford reporting that Armstrong and Hitch are meeting right now. This was re-tweeted by Bob McKenzie. NEWS: McKenzie says Blues were told 2 days ago by Babcock: "I'm out."

Still good sources saying Buffalo out and Detroit is out. I guess no confirmation about TO yet. Could be SJ?

????

Thanks!

Yes but you also wrote that my suggestion that Babcock could go to Toronto was "funny". What a bitch an hour or so can make, huh?! Just sayin'

Oh no: LeBrun saying babcock to Toronto.

Could Babcock be headed to SJ? St. Louis?

I certainly hope not.

Pierre LeBrun seconding that the Sabres are out

Aaron Ward reporting Babcock NOT returning to Detroit.

McKenzie; We are out

I didn't suggest he wants to be the GM too. I wrote that he wants quasi-GM power, meaning he wants some of the power typically reserved to the GM...like picking and choosing or at least having substantial input into who is brought in and thrown out of the organization.

Good thing for Babcock personally. Not good for Sabres fans who want Babcock as their next coach.

Is that noon Detroit time or Buffalo time?

TO's lack of a GM could be a good thing in all this. There is a whole lot of working room there right now for Babcock to carve out whatever niche he wants. It was reported that a sticking point with Buffalo negotiations was how much control over personnel Babcock would have here. He doesn't just want to be the coach; he wants to be a coach with quasi-GM power. There are TONS of good reasons why Babcock would NOT go to TO! But to suggest its impossible is crazy... TO is TO. God only knows what Babs is thinking in all this.

It could be click bait for sure. Then again, I'm not counting this chicken until it is hatched!

Based on....

Absolutely. Their organization is a lot further back than Buffalo right now, but TO is TO. If they are going to match a crazy Pegula offer, Babcock could easily chose to go there. If he brings a Cup to that town down the line, they will erect a 150 story monument of his likeness in downtown, and baby boys will be named "Michael" for generations to come in his honor. If TO is really in a bidding war, let's hope they drop out of it! See post 164. What won't be funny is if Toronto poaches this guy on the day of his decision.

Yes.

Yep. That was McKenzie's point. I am starting to think things may have heated up and gotten complicated at the 11th hour and we may not hear news for some time.

LOL. Bob McKenzie Twitter... Vogl says things going well for Buffalo. Coaching colleague in NHL of Babcock's says he firmly believes Babcock stays in Detroit. All talk yesterday was only Detroit and Buffalo. Now hearing Toronto not totally out of it. :doh:

When the news breaks, will it be buried in this thread on page 45 somewhere, or is it kosher to make a new thread purely for the announcement information? I vote "new thread."

No it's not. If our destiny is to be the hated cream of the NHL, well, that works for me.