The news that everyone expected finally came to fruition Sunday night, and Tim Murray will now begin his first search as GM for a head coach. Ted Nolan was never given a fair chance to succeed, but it can be argued that if he handled a few things differently he would still be around to see the greener pastures for the Sabres. The next head coach is going to be one lucky guy.

The Sabres’ job is very appealing for a number of reasons, and a wide range of candidates will be interviewed. There are a ton of big names out there that cannot be ruled. Here is my list of top candidates that Murray should take a look at in the near future.

Best Bets:

Mike Babcock( 51 years old, 2 Stanley Cup appearances, 1 win)

Babcock has arguably been the NHL’s top head coach over the last 10 years. For various reasons, he hasn’t been able to work out a new deal with the Detroit Red Wings and will essentially become a free agent this summer. Babcock always gets the most out of his team, and has had some very talented groups in both Anaheim and Detriot. However, he has coached some pretty underwhelming rosters over the last few seasons and has still led the Red Wings to the playoffs. Would he actually leave Detroit for a team like Buffalo? That remains to be seen but it isn’t completely out of the question. I am sure whether the Sabres get Connor McDavid will play a part in where he decides to take his coaching talents to next.

Dan Bylsma( 44 years old, 1 Stanley Cup win)

Dan Bylsma deserves another chance to coach in the NHL soon, regardless of his inabilities to coach the very talented Pittsburgh Penguins in the playoffs. Bylsma obviously has all the experience necessary coaching superstars with guys such as Crosby, Letang, and Malkin. Byslma is currently a TV analyst in Canada but I’m sure he is already thinking of a return. Again, the thing turning many teams away who are looking for coaches is the fact that Byslma’s teams won only four playoff series over the his final five series with the team. Only time will tell if that turns off the Sabres as well or if his expertise coaching young talent is more important.

Paul MacLean( 57 years old, 2 playoff appearances)

MacLean was fired by the Senators at the beginning of the season, and was rumored to become the next coach of the New Jersey Devils. That fell through at the time, however, it is still a possibility at the end of the season. MacLean reminds me of Rex Ryan, and would be an easy guy to sell to your fan base and would have just as many quotable things to say as Ryan. The downside is that there have been rifts between MacLean and his players, and his personality with younger guys, which the Sabres will have plenty of next year, has been called into question. The obvious connection here is that MacLean was hired in Ottawa when Tim Murray was the assistant general manager. However, Murray’s uncle, Bryan, fired him only a few short years later. Not sure if Tim Murray’s connections with MacLean help or hurt the Sabres here. His personality also may be too big for a young team to handle.

Kevin Dineen( 51 years old, 1 playoff appearance)

Dineen may sound familiar to Sabres fans due to his 6 seasons coaching the former AHL affiliate of the team, the Portland Pirates. He led the Pirates to 6 straight winning seasons before taking the head coaching job with the Florida Panthers. He took the Panthers to the playoffs in his first year and then things stopped working. Dineen was fired less than three years after he started and has since been coaching with Team Canada and with the Blackhawks. He is still regarded around the league as a very good coach and based on his previous success with the Pirates, he could do the job coaching young talent in Buffalo. The owner, GM and many other top brass have changed since Dineen was part of the Sabres organization, but the team should still give somebody with extensive experience coaching young players a good look. Dineen is also a mild-mannered guy and would be a patient teacher to guys learning the ropes in the NHL.

Guy Boucher( 43 years old, 1 playoff experience)

Boucher is known around the league as a very smart coach who is good with tactical skills. However, he is currently coaching in Switzerland because he was essentially run out of Tampa Bay by veterans who were not happy with the coach. He had winning records in his only two full seasons with the team, including one deep run in the playoffs. Although the Sabres will be a young team next year, they will still have plenty of veterans on the roster who will demand a coach that gives them respect. Also, if free agents see that Boucher is named coach of the Sabres, it may turn some away. Boucher may have changed, and only another chance in the NHL can prove that. I think he will get one somewhere, and if the Sabres are looking for a young, fiery coach then they found one in Boucher. A young team needs a guy who will challenge them, not babysit. It’s just a matter of whether Boucher and Murray will be able to see eye to eye on that