from Pierre LeBrun of ESPN,

The July 1 unrestricted free agent player pool this year leaves you quite cold, but luckily there should be action behind the bench that livens up the NHL offseason like rarely before.

This has the potential to be, quite frankly, one of the most intriguing and dramatic offseasons in the NHL coaching world in quite some time....

The question is whether Babcock has seen enough of the impressive next-generation core of the Red Wings this season and whether that’s enough to convince him to stay, albeit for less money than what he could make in a place like Toronto. Or Philadelphia? Or Buffalo? Or elsewhere?

The Wings will make a very good offer. His decision, either way, will have a domino effect.

The Boston Bruins are sitting out of a playoff spot as we write this and that can’t be good for head coach Claude Julien, at least if you go by the veiled hints made this season by the owner’s son Charlie Jacobs and team president Cam Neely. It seems crazy to me that Julien, one of the game’s most respected coaches and the guy who guided the Bruins to 2011 glory, could be fired. But that’s the feeling you get from the vibes coming out of Boston. And if he hits the market, holy moly, that’s another huge fish.

Media in Philadelphia over the past few days have deliberated at Craig Berube’s future as coach of the Philadelphia Flyers and speculated that he might be in danger of being fired. General manager Ron Hextall, after all, hasn’t had the chance to hire his own coach yet. The Flyers’ job would be a plum opening for sure, the kind of big-market job most coaches salivate over.

Which brings us to Toronto, of course, where the Maple Leafs will need a new head coach. Whether it’s Babcock or potentially McLellan or whomever, it’s doubtful it won’t be a marquis name. But the next Leafs coach also will know when he signs on the dotted line that there’s a long-term rebuild that he’s going to have to weather.

Does Dave Tippett stay with the Arizona Coyotes? He’s under contract for three more seasons and loves it in the Phoenix area where he’s built a home, but I don’t think he’s interested in a long, long rebuild.

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