Dreger: Flyers "would like to take a swing" at landing Babcock

Darren Dreger was on Winnipeg’s TSN 1290 on Wednesday afternoon.

On if the Leafs could pay $5 million per season to have Mike Babcock coach in Toronto:

“I think that’s a stretch, but I wouldn’t be surprised.

“We keep linking Babcock to the Toronto Maple Leafs because that’s what we in the media speculated. But let’s not assume there won’t be other teams interested in Mike Babcock as an unrestricted free agent coach as well, who perhaps are willing to pay that kind of money. Do you think Philadelphia is thrilled with the job Craig Berube is doing right now? Things are going sour in Philadelphia. It’s not all on the coach. But there’s another team that would like to take a swing, I’m sure, at Babcock if he leaves Detroit.

“But if he leaves Detroit, and there’s reason to believe that he will – he hasn’t signed his extension yet – then he’s going to command top dollar. Top dollar, in my world, is going to be somewhere around $4 million. But could it reach as high as 5? I guess it depends on how eager the suitors, be it Toronto, Philadelphia, or someone else, are willing to spend and how eager they are to get him.”

Source: TSN 1290/ Transcript: Nichols on Hockey

Related: Red Wings' Holland: Social media impacts Babcock UFA story

Related: Friedman: Babcock coaching Leafs is "a big pipe dream"