Who Should Mike Babcock Pick: Red Wings or Sabres?

The end to the saga surrounding Mike Babcock's future is rapidly approaching, and a decision is likely to be announced on Wednesday. 

The 52-year-old bench boss had an opportunity to sign a new deal with the Detroit Red Wings, but he opted to entertain other offers from teams such as the Toronto Maple Leafs, San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues and Buffalo Sabres, according to TSN's Bob McKenzie (via theScore.com).

Babcock earned the right to see what else was out there, and doing so will allow him to ultimately know that he made an educated and informed decision. It also opens up the door for his colleagues in the industry to ensure they can also have the same opportunity when they become free agents.

The Red Wings' unrestricted free-agent coach is considered to be one of the best in the NHL today, and as one of the sharpest minds in all of hockey, he drew considerable interest from many teams. The Red Wings are still in the running to retain their coach, but the Sabres are the other viable option. There are pros and cons for each, but who should Babcock pick?

Update: May 20, 11:20 a.m. 

According to Darren Dreger, the Maple Leafs have re-entered the mix for Babcock.

Detroit Red Wings

Dave Sandford/Getty Images

Case for 

Babcock is familiar with the city, players, system and the organization. It makes sense for him to stay somewhere he is happy and already has considerable control.

The Red Wings have made the playoffs for 24 consecutive seasons and have successfully rebuilt on the fly despite the loss of key players such as Steve Yzerman, Sergei Fedorov, Nicklas Lidstrom and Brian Rafalski.

In recent years, the team showed tremendous poise and resiliency by making the playoffs despite in-season injuries suffered by Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg and Johan Franzen.

The Wings qualified for the playoffs over the last few seasons on the backs of a number of young players such as Gustav Nyquist, Justin Abdelkader, Tomas Tatar, Jonathan Ericsson, Brendan Smith and Danny DeKeyser.

This organizational depth should tell Babcock that his team is in good hands when Datsyuk and company are ready to retire, especially when you consider there are other talented top prospects like Anthony Mantha who have yet to make their NHL debuts. 

If Babcock decides to remain in Detroit, it will because he ultimately realizes that he has a good situation and one that he can improve upon going forward. 

Case against

Yes, the Red Wings have made the playoffs for 24 straight seasons, but there is going to come a time in which they struggle to make the playoffs. Datsyuk and Zetterberg aren't getting younger, and outside of Tatar and Nyquist, there aren't any young players who have shown that they have the potential to become stars.

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

They stepped up in a pinch when the chips were down, but what will happen when Tatar and Nyquist are in a situation when they have to be "the guys"? Until they play an entire season without the support of the veteran stars, no one will know what they are fully capable of. There is the chance they will continue to grow and become role players, but there are no guarantees.

The lack of significant star power is something to consider, because the Red Wings are going to be in an Atlantic Division that could be very competitive for the next couple of seasons. The Tampa Bay Lightning are an example of a young team that has drafted well, and missing the playoffs certainly helped them acquire players such as Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman with high draft picks.

The Red Wings are going to need an influx of top talent at some point, and a player who has been heralded as one of their "next ones" had a setback this season.

Anthony Mantha is a talented goal scorer who has significant upside, but the organization was not happy with his first season in the AHL. According to Keith Grave of FoxSports.com, Senior Vice President Jim Devellano said his year was "very, very, very disappointing," and it was a down year when you compare it to how dominant he looked in the QMJHL.

One year isn't the be-all and end-all for Mantha, but it is worth noting since he is the team's most notable prospect.

Teemu Pulkkinen and Dylan Larkin are also Red Wing prospects who could be difference-makers, but it is fair to say that neither had the hype that Mantha did during his draft year. Going forward, the team is going to have to continue drafting well, but getting some top prospects has been difficult.

Detroit's continual success has not allowed it to acquire blue-chippers at the draft because it has been forced to draft late due to impressive regular-season records. In addition to not being able to acquire top prospects, the Red Wings have been unable to attract top free agents.

There is only so much that can be done through the draft and trades, and it makes it hard to build a contender when top players don't want to sign with your team.

In short, the Red Wings have done a lot of things right, but some form of regression is coming.

To this point, the team doesn't have viable options to replace Datsyuk and Zetterberg, and first-line two-way centers don't grow on trees. Babcock would be able to make it work in due time, but he may not be willing to alter an existing team when he has the chance to shape one from scratch.

Buffalo Sabres

Case for

The Sabres are a franchise full of opportunities with a glistening future on the horizon. Coming to Buffalo would also present a challenge for Babcock, and that's something he would love to take on. He's won two Olympic gold medals and a Stanley Cup, but turning the Sabres around would likely earn him the Jack Adams Trophy as coach of the year, an accolade that has eluded him his entire career.

In terms of talent, the centerpiece of the Sabres should be Jack Eichel, who is going to be a bona fide superstar and the presumed No. 2 pick in the 2015 NHL draft. Eichel may be the best American prospect since Mike Modano, and that is because he's got great physical tools, hockey smarts and the ability to step into the NHL and make an immediate impact.

In addition to Eichel, the Sabres have young talents such as Sam Reinhart, J.T. Compher, Justin Bailey, Hudson Fasching, Jake McCabe and Andrey Makarov. Each will be joining the roster over the next few seasons and project to be solid NHL players.

Reinhart is a talented pivot who shined in the CHL, Fasching is a power forward with solid speed in size and Makarov is a goaltender with tremendous upside. In addition to these talented prospects, the Sabres have young players on the roster who could only become better under Babcock's tutelage.

Bill Wippert/Getty Images

Evander Kane is a solid goal scorer who will play with a chip on his shoulder. Mikhail Grigorenko and Zemgus Girgensons are forwards with untapped potential, and Tyler Ennis and Matt Moulson are decent scoring forwards for the second line.

The Sabres also have the makings of a solid defense with Nikita Zadorov, Rasmus Ristolainen, Josh Gorges and Zach Bogosian, but they could use another defender or two.

As constructed, the roster is full of more potential talent than proven talent, but that will change going forward. Buffalo will also get better via free agency—it's hard to believe there are players who won't want to play for Babcock or take owner Terry Pegula's money. Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent once said, "The night is often darkest before the dawn, and I promise you, dawn is coming."

When you consider all the variables, it is almost time for the sun to rise in Buffalo, and Babcock can be the one to lead the team out of darkness and into the light.

Case against

There are more pros than cons for Babcock to join the Sabres, but below are the two biggest reasons why he wouldn't join the Buffalo Sabres.

Babcock will turn down Buffalo if he doesn't want his legacy to show that he was a person who simply took the money and ran. According to the Philadelphia Daily News' Frank Seravalli, Buffalo is reportedly offering Babcock over $6 million a year to coach the Sabres, which is an insane amount of cash for a coach. 

"

@TSNBobMcKenzie Rumblings of $6M+ per year in BUF for #Babs.

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) May 19, 2015"

Money like that could also add pressure and scrutiny, especially if he struggles early with a young team full of talent. Despite his notoriety, Babcock has been able to fly under the radar as a head coach, and that would change if he picks Buffalo. Joining the Sabres would make him the most notable coach in the NHL from an attention perspective, and it would be a new challenge to overcome.

Prediction

Babcock leaves Detroit for the Buffalo Sabres

Bill Wippert/Getty Images

I took a legal pad and drew a line down the middle looking for reasons why Babcock should or shouldn't join each team. It was close, and I ultimately feel that he has more to gain with the Sabres than the Red Wings at this point. I could be wrong. I could be a genius. And I could also fall down my steps getting ready for work in the morning. 

Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of valid reasons for Babcock to stay, but there are more opportunities in Buffalo. Winning another Stanley Cup in Detroit won't help Babcock's legacy, but winning one in Buffalo would be legen...dary.

Bill Wippert/Getty Images

The Red Wings are a member of the Original Six, and the franchise's history is storied enough already. Babcock can build upon his resume and solidify a legacy by taking over the Sabres and turning them into a Stanley Cup contender.

Steve Babineau/Getty Images

Scotty Bowman is considered to be one of the greatest coaches in NHL history, and he won Stanley Cups with three different teams as a coach. Babcock already has one ring with the Red Wings, and it is possible between age 52 and age 66 he could win one with the Sabres before moving on to another NHL team.

This is not to compare the two but to point out that Babcock is going to do all that he can to establish himself as the best coach of the post-lockout era. There's a chance Babcock will stay, but ultimately, I feel he is going to take the risk and enter a situation in which he can truly make a name for himself.