There was one team that considered briefly whether they should get in on Mike Babcock. It was a team with a coach they like, but considered joining the Babcock sweepstakes simply out of due diligence. When the best coach in the sport -- or at least one of the top three -- becomes available, it’s foolish not to consider it.

Along the way, they considered the alternative. What if they tried to get Babcock and didn’t succeed? What was the message to their coach? What would be the fallout?

“It was a very dangerous game to play,” said a source in that organization.

So they passed. The Toronto Maple Leafs and a few others most certainly did not, and now they deal with what’s next.

It was a wild ride for all who decided to get involved, a ride that concluded with Babcock's signing a remarkable eight-year contract worth $50 million to coach the Maple Leafs. It will go down as the contract that forever alters the coaching pay scale.

It also has an impact not just on the team he chose, but the one he left and the ones he passed on. Here’s a look at the teams impacted most by the deal and what’s next for them