Leafs coach Mike Babcock will certainly be very high on the radar for Hockey Canada when it comes to selecting a head coach for the 2018 Winter Olympics.
But with the NHL still unsure about participating, one year before the Games begin in South Korea, Babcock steered clear of confirming he’d serve if called.
“If they’re going . . . and whoever the management team is, if they ask me, I’ll have time to consider it. How’s that?” Babcock said.
Babcock has led Canada to gold medals at the past two Olympic Games.
CAPTAIN’S LOG: Babcock also reflected on the one-year anniversary of the trade that sent former Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf to Ottawa. It’s been the subject of analysis in both cities the past few days. Count the coach as a Phaneuf fan.
“He was fantastic for us, and he’s doing a good job in Ottawa now,” Babcock said.
No one has replaced Phaneuf as captain of the Leafs. With so many new faces on board since the trade, the franchise has opted for a leadership group. The different dynamic is all part of rebuilding, the coach said.
“We have a different group now. It’s an easier team to be around now,” Babcock said. “When you’re losing (as the Leafs were under Phaneuf), that’s hard to be around and he was fantastic for us.”
FUN AND GAMES: The Leafs had 30 games to go heading into Thursday night’s home date with the St. Louis Blues. The club’s eye-opening charge into playoff contention, with as many as seven high-energy rookies in the lineup on a given night, has been fun for fans to watch. Babcock doesn’t think the pressure of a playoff stretch run will change that.
“I don’t know why you wouldn’t just be who you are. Hockey is fun. I’ve been in the game a long time . . . it’s a riot,” Babcock said.
SAVING GRADES: Leafs goalie Freddie Andersen concurs with Washington Capitals netminder Braden Holtby, who has a simple method of rating saves. Holtby, last season’s Vezina Trophy winner, uses three categories: should have, could have had, and no chance.
“All goalies have that kind of mindset going,” Andersen said. “Some (saves) you take with a grain of salt, but you also have to make some saves that maybe you shouldn’t make. You have to put yourself in a position to win every night.”
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