Mike Babcock's very first game back in Toronto is already being called next season's most anticipated storyline.
TheLeafsNation shared the take earlier this week, with analyst David Alter naming it above every other storyline heading into next season.
"I think Mike Babcock returning will certainly be the most interesting one," Alter said.
Babcock takes over as Edmonton's head coach after being hired on June 23rd, just days after Toronto moved in a different direction.
Toronto brought in Jim Hiller as its own new head coach on June 17th, barely a week before Babcock landed in Edmonton.
That six-day gap between the two hires says a lot about how quickly both organizations moved this summer.
Toronto is coming off a rough season itself, finishing 32-36-14 for 78 points and 28th overall.
Toronto already moved on with a new coach of its own
Edmonton's own season ended better on paper, closing 41-30-11 for 93 points before a first-round exit to Anaheim in six games.
That early playoff exit came just two months before Babcock's hiring was announced in Edmonton.
Both franchises head into the fall with fresh voices behind the bench, but only one involves a coach walking back into the building he used to run.
Alter's read lines up with how these things usually play out around the league. Coaching returns tend to draw more attention than most in-season trades.
The take came as part of a broader panel discussion previewing several storylines for next season, not just this one matchup.
The full segment, presented alongside analysts covering the league's other big storylines, is worth watching in full.
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No date is locked in publicly yet, but Toronto and Edmonton will meet at least once next season, and that will be the night everyone in both cities circles on the calendar.
Will Mike Babcock's return to Toronto be next season's biggest storyline?
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