In the 2015-16 season, Mike Babcock came on board to revive the resurgent Toronto Maple Leafs after a decade of success with the Detroit Red Wings. Eight years later he joined the Columbus Blue Jackets with similar goals.
The Saskatchewan native’s arrival in the Queen City coincided – a year later – with the arrival of young Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander. With Babcock’s help, these three forwards quickly became the heart and soul of the team.
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In Ohio, the 60-year-old driver will find several similar profiles, having players like Adam Fantilli, Cole Sillinger and Kent Johnson on hand.
“I was very fortunate to have a group of good young players when I came to Toronto. We had a lot of fun and success,” he said on the National Hockey League’s website this week. In the end, after four and a half years, I was released, but I enjoyed my time there. I liked the young people. I’m proud when I see them play and see how good they are and how they’ve improved. It is our job to help these young people maximize their chances of becoming the best in the world.”
A large pool of talented young people
The lean years in Columbus can now turn into an exciting new beginning. Other youngsters like Jordan Dumais, David Jiricek and Stanislav Svozil could be knocking on the door as well.
“The team has gotten a lot better,” said Babcock. Opportunities for younger people have improved. […] We are excited. They have been fishing well for some time. There are a lot of young people here and now, we need to maximize their potential.”
Zach Werenski, Adam Boqvist, Boone Jenner and Patrik Laine should be healthy and the Jackets could be one of the most exciting teams in the Metropolitan Division. The experience of Babcock, the 12th most successful coach in history, should help.
“We’re trying to get better and we’re going to keep going day by day. […] If you look at a lot of players over the past year, you’ve noticed that they haven’t had a great season. We believe they have more to offer on top of the players we’ve added.