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Detroit Get Their Babcock Fix, Leafs Send Out a Camp Invite

By Jon Steitzer

Jun 30, 2015, 10:18 EDTUpdated:

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Ken Holland has a problem. He’s been waking up in the night
with cold sweats, invisible bugs are crawling on him constantly that he has to
scratch, and at least 20 seconds of every minute he’s thinking about where he’s
gonna get his next fix. Ken Holland has a Mike Babcock addiction. Unfortunately
for him, it’s become an expensive addition to have, especially if you want pure
Mike Babcock, the market is limited and Toronto isn’t selling any of their good
stuff. This has left the Red Wings in search of a new supply, and they’ve found
the next best thing.

From The
Mack Report:

Incoming Merrimack College freshman Michael Babcock has
been invited back to the Detroit Red Wings development camp, scheduled for
after this weekend’s NHL Draft.
Babcock, who is the son of former Red Wings head coach Mike
Babcock, has been at the Detroit camp for the past two seasons.
In 60 games this season with the USHL’s Fargo Force, Babcock
captained the team and finished with 12 points (4 goals, 8 assists). The
5-foot-9, 161-pound forwarded has been lauded for his hustle and effort.

The Wings are apparently playing the long game on replacing
Babcock. Bring his son into the organization, let him get a feel for the game,
and in 20 years or so, boom, you’ve got an elite head coach. This approach is
called the Stan Bowman method and it works pretty well, but could carry the
unfortunate side effect of a Corey Crawford contract.

In Actual Leafs News…

In that same report from The Mack Report it is mentioned
that the Leafs have invited Merrimack College’s 21 year old sophomore
goaltender Collin Delia to their Prospects camp. Delia had to solid seasons in
the NAHL before serving as a backup in the NCAA last season. In his 9 games
played, Delia put up an amazing .937 save percentage and had a GAA of 1.87.
Most importantly, Collin Delia is from Rancho Cucamonga, California which is
about the most joyful city name ever and that leads me to believe he has
tremendous character. How could he not?

Anyway, it’s probably a little early for Delia to be leaving
school, and the Leafs aren’t likely to give him a contract based off of nine
NCAA games and a short prospect camp, so Delia is likely a name to store in the
back of your head when it comes time to consider NCAA free agents next spring.