Blue Jackets rumored to be making controversial HC hire

The Columbus Blue Jackets are reportedly set to make a new head coaching announcement in the near future, and if they follow through it is going to be a very controversial hire.

According to multiple reports on Saturday, including TSN's Darren Dreger and Sportsnet, the Blue Jackets have decided to hire former Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock.

The reported hold up is related to the Blue Jackets waiting for his current contract with Toronto to expire at the end of the month. 

Babcock has not coached in the NHL since early in the 2019-20 season when he was fired by the Maple Leafs in the middle of a six-game losing streak, as well as allegations that he had created a toxic environment with the team.

Several former players have voiced concerns over Babcock's coaching techniques.

One of the factors that led to his firing in Toronto was the revelation that he had asked a rookie Mitch Marner to rank all of his teammate's work ethics from best to worst, and then revealed Marner's ranking to the rest of the team.

When Babcock coached in Detroit he drew harsh criticism from veterans like Mike Commodore and Johan Franzen for his treatment of players. 

Hall of Fame defenseman Chris Chelios detailed some of the verbal abuse that Babcock directed at Franzen and said it resulted in his teammate (Franzen) having a nervous breakdown on the bench and in the locker room. 

Babcock has also drawn criticism for scratching respected veterans ahead of personal milestones or in games against their former teams.

Aside from being wildly unpopular with his players, Babcock has also been short on success in recent years. While he has coached in three Stanley Cup Finals (one with Anaheim and two with Detroit) and won one of them, a Babcock-coached team has not won a playoff series since the 2012-13 season and has only won one series since the 2010 season. 

Given his questionable treatment of players and lack of relevant success in over a decade, it is difficult to see how this is all worth it for Columbus. The Blue Jackets had one of the worst records in the NHL this past season and are probably years away from serious contention in a very difficult Eastern Conference and Metropolitan Division.