The Washington Capitals are in the midst of an extensive search for a new head coach after firing Todd Reirden last month and they have interviewed former Leafs bench boss Mike Babcock.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on Saturday that the Capitals were given permission to speak with Babcock, who is under contract with Toronto for another three years after being relieved of his duties last November. Washington has interviewed former Nashville coach Peter Laviolette and former Vegas bench boss Gerard Gallant.
There had been some speculation after Babcock’s dismissal that the Leafs would only give teams permission to speak to him if the club would guarantee that they would pay the 57-year-old close to or the same salary that he made with Toronto, since the Leafs would be responsible for making up the difference if Babcock was hired at a lesser salary.
It is expected that Capitals team captain Alex Ovechkin would have some input in the club’s choice for head coach, since he will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of next season, and based on Babcock’s treatment of players in the past in Detroit and Toronto, that might be an impediment in his getting hired after less than a year out of work.
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Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • 
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