Is Babcock the perfect coach for Rangers
Add another one to the pile.
A week after the New York Rangers fired their general manger and president, the team showed the door to head coach David Quinn. For those counting, Quinn is the sixth coaching casualty of the shortened season. And while missing the playoffs had something to do with the decision, the bigger justification could be that the team didn't want to lose out on one of the many top-end coaches who are available.
It won't last long.
With vacancies in Arizona, Buffalo, Columbus and Seattle, don't expect Claude Julien, John Tortorella, Gerard Gallant and many others to remain unemployed.
Here are the five teams looking for a coach and who might be a perfect match:
ARIZONA COYOTES
Only the three California teams were worse than the Coyotes in the West Division this year. A lack of top-end talent is in issue. But it didn't help that Arizona finished in the bottom-10 in goals allowed.
Perfect match: John Tortorella isn't everyone's cup of scalding hot tea. But for a team that is lacking in star power, he can work wonders with some shot-blocking, backchecking and duct tape.
BUFFALO SABRES
A future without Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart is a possibility, so chances are that the Sabres won't be contending next season. But they'll need to make sure that Dylan Cozens and Rasmus Dahlin develop into players who can take the team to that next step when the time comes.
Perfect match: David Quinn, who earned his stripes coaching Boston University, is a teacher first and foremost. If he can help
Adam Fox become a Norris Trophy favourite, then he can help get Dahlin and Cozens on track.
COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS
The team is built around Seth Jones and Zach Werenski on defence, but it's the offence that needs work. Patrik Laine had the worst season of his career and no one on the Blue Jackets had 20 goals.
Perfect match: Bruce Boudreau, who has missed the playoffs just twice in his career, has a reputation as an offence-first coach. Washington's Alex Ovechkin scored 65 goals under him and even Eric Staal became a 40goal scorer under him in Minnesota.
NEW YORK RANGERS
It's time for the rebuilding team to take the next steps and contend, so finding a coach who can develop players isn't as important as finding one who can implement a system that leads to the playoffs.
Perfect match: Mike Babcock took a team that finished last overall to the playoffs in three straight years. And having coached in Toronto, as well as at two Olympic Games, means the pressure of New York won't get to him.
SEATTLE KRAKEN
The expansion franchise, which enters the league in 2021-22, is hoping to follow Vegas' blueprint of being competitive right out of the gates. For that to happen, they need a coach that can bring a roster of rejected misfits together.
Perfect match: This is a no-brainer. Gerard Gallant was the coach who won a Jack Adams Award after leading Vegas to the Stanley Cup final in their first year of existence and was fired with a 118-75-20 record.