The Maple Leafs were able to grab the big fish, signing Mike Babcock to a huge contract worth a reported $50 million. He'll be their next head coach ... but might he be joined by another big coaching name behind the bench?
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reports that former Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Guy Boucher is in talks with the Maple Leafs, and that it could lead to him being hired as one of Babcock's assistant coaches.
To make this day even crazier, Guy Boucher is meeting with TOR. Assistant coach?
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) May 20, 2015
Really interesting development here. Boucher has been itching to get back into the NHL after he lost his job with the Lightning in 2013. Since, he's been coaching in the Swiss league, and earlier this month, TSN reported that the Leafs may have shown interest in Boucher. Whether that interest was only as a second-option if Babcock fell through, or if Boucher is really interested in an assistant gig, is unknown.
With coaching vacancies already filled in Philadelphia, Edmonton and now Toronto, maybe Boucher realizes his best chance to come back to North America is as an assistant coach.
For more on Boucher as a coaching candidate, here's the profile we wrote on him earlier in May.