Music: {allcanada} Which NHL coaching vacancies are the most attractive?

Detroit Red Wings coach Mike Babcock and former San Jose Sharks coach Todd McLellan are the two hottest names available.

USA TODAY Sports rates the most desirable vacancies for those two and other top candidates:

1. Edmonton Oilers

The No. 1 attraction is Connor McDavid will be at training camp next fall.

He could do for the Oilers what Sidney Crosby did for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Depending upon how quickly McDavid matures into the role of No. 1 center, the Oilers quickly could become a dynamic offensive team.

McDavid has quality wingers in place in Jordan Eberle and Taylor Hall. Nail Yakupov showed improvement last season. The Oilers also boast Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Leon Draisaitl will be ready next season. The Oilers have enviable offensive talent.

But the defense is inferior, and the goaltending outlook is unclear, which is being charitable. New general manager Peter Chiarelli is an aggressive horse trader. You can bet he will have a proven goalie in place by training camp.

The Oilers seem to be targeting McLellan as the man they want to lead the McDavid generation.

2. Buffalo Sabres

The Sabres are getting Jack Eichel next fall, and that is as equally exciting as landing McDavid.

Sam Reinhart, the son of former NHL player Paul Reinhart, is another young premium center who will get a chance.

The Sabres have a strong collection of young talent in place, led by Zemgus Girgensons, Rasmus Ristolainen and Nikita Zadorov. Premium center prospect Sam Reinhart will get a chance.

The Sabres will be slightly better next season, but by 2016-17, they could be formidable. The key is finding the right goaltender.

Owner Terry Pegula seems to be going all in to land Babcock.

3. Philadelphia Flyers

Owner Ed Snider is an attraction. He wants a winner desperately. and he's going to do whatever it takes to win in Philadelphia.

Although they missed the playoffs, the Flyers are intriguing up front with Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek finishing among the NHL's top 12 scorers last season.

Sean Courturier and Brayden Schenn have their best years in front of them.

Philadelphia's defense needs work, and there are mixed reviews about goalie Steve Mason. But a new coach might be all he needs to be viewed as a valuable asset. His numbers were quite good last season

4. New Jersey Devils

With Ray Shero taking over as general manager, the Devils suddenly look re-energized.

The Devils had grown stale. They struggled to score goals last season but have a long tradition of playing strong defense.

Cory Schneider is a quality goalie. If Shero can acquire some offensive help, the Devils could be in the hunt for a wild card spot next season.

5. Sharks

With Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture, Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau, the Sharks have proven talent.

However, the Sharks have seemed like a dysfunctional family for a few seasons. They should be performing at a high level, but the roster mix just doesn't seem right. The defense needs work.

The Sharks might need to take a step backward to move forward.

6. Toronto Maple Leafs

The historic franchise might have to strip down to the chassis before the rebuilding truly begins.

Depending upon whether Phil Kessel or Dion Phaneuf get traded, the Maple Leafs could again be among the NHL's worst teams.

Although Brendan Shanahan is in charge, the Maple Leafs don't have a general manager.

Anyone who takes this job will face considerable pressure, plus won't know what his roster will look like the next couple of seasons. It could be three or four seasons before the Leafs contend.

Other possibilities

With Ken Hitchcock's contract expiring and the St. Louis Blues ousted in the first round for the third consecutive season, the job could become available.

If it does, the Blues would rise to third on the list. The new coach would inherit a championship-caliber team. Kevin Shattenkirk, Alex Pietrangelo and Jay Bouwmeester lead a formidable defense, and Vladimir Tarasenko is the game-breaker every coach covets.

The Bruins are looking for a new general manager, who'll decide whether Claude Julien is retained. If they look for a new coach, they would rank No. 4.

Though they missed the playoffs, the Bruins remain a contender. They need to add only a few players to return to the top tier in the Eastern Conference. But salary cap issues will continue to hurt their depth.

Carl Soderberg seems likely to leave. Role players Gregory Campbell and Daniel Paille won't be re-signed.

If Babcock leaves, Detroit would be a highly desirable vacancy. But the job is expected to go Grand Rapids (Mich.) coach Jeff Blashill.