The NHL pre-season has come and gone. Fans got to see some of the talent their teams have in their feeder systems. Going into the pre-season, 7 teams were without captains but Ottawa named Erik Karlsson captain and Florida named Willie Mitchell their captain.
No team has ever won a Cup without a Captain (although the New York Rangers came close last season, which led to an interesting situation when they were awarded Prince of Wales trophy. Five teams are still without Captains this season: Buffalo, Columbus, Montreal, New York Rangers, and San Jose, let's take a look at the 2 or 3 best candidates for each team.
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are undergoing a rebuild right now and there's a very small chance of them even making the playoffs. Some are even saying the Sabres are purposely tanking to have a chance at drafting Connor McDavid. However, for the purposes of this blog, let's take a look at potential Sabres Captains:
Drew Stafford
Stafford is the longest tenured member of the Sabres, he was drafted by the team 13th overall in 2004 and has only played in the Sabres organisation. Because of this, Stafford actually has some playoff experience: 20 games. Stafford was on this team when they were more successful and knows what it takes to win. With over 500 NHL games under his belt, Stafford would be a great mentor to a team that is filled with players 26 and younger.
Brian Gionta
After Montreal didn't extend Gionta's contract, he signed a three-year deal with the Sabres. Now, I know teams don't often name players they just signed captain (although Edmonton did it last year), but Gionta is coming off being captain with the Montreal Canadiens. Even though he's 35 years old, he can still be dependable to get you 40-50 points in a season, if he stays healthy.
Tyler Myers
Tyler Myers won the Calder Trophy for rookie of the year in 2010, but he hasn't been able to live up to the hype, It's tough to tell whether Myers will never live up to that hype, or if it's just because of the Sabres have been getting worse. That being said, once the Sabres are a competitive team again, look for Myers to be in the thick of things. At 24, he's a little young, but that means he hasn't reached his prime yet. If he can get back to his Calder form, he would be a solid leader for this club.
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Blue Jackets have been without a captain since they traded Rick Nash to the New York Rangers in 2012 after going 29-46-7 in 2011-2012. However, two seasons after the trade, the Jackets made the playoffs for only the 2nd time in franchise history and won their first ever playoff game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Things look bright for the Blue Jackets' future and maybe it's time they had a captain leading the way.
Jack Johnson
Jack Johnson was acquired by the Blue Jackets from the LA Kings in 2012 for Jeff Carter. That season, the Kings went on to win their first Cup. After Nash was traded, Johnson was considered to be one of the leaders on the team, he wore the 'A' that season, and continues to do so. Out of any players on the Blue Jackets, Johnson probably has the best shot at being Nash's successor.
Nick Foligno
Nick Foligno was traded to Columbus from the Ottawa Senators for Mike Methot. Foligno was an RFA at the time of being acquired by Columbus. They signed him to a three-year extension. Foligno has previous playoff experience with the Ottawa Senators, which would make him a good leader for this club. He also scored the overtime winner in Game 4 of the 2014 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Penguins to give the Blue Jackets their 1st home playoff win. However, barring some chance Johnson doesn't get named captain, it's unlikely Foligno will be given the 'C'.
Montreal Canadiens
After Montreal didn't re-sign Brian Gionta, they found themselves without a captain. Fans had it narrowed down to 4 candidates. Evidently, so did the Habs, they just couldn't decide which one to name captain, so they named all 4 alternate captains: Andrei Markov, P.K. Subban, Max Pacioretty, and Tomas Plekanec. As much as I'm a Leafs fan, I applaud the Habs for this move. A team as historic as Montreal shouldn't just name a Captain for the sake of naming one. Go one year without one, and see who steps up as a leader. Before we see who steps up. let's take a look at these four and see who would make the best Captain.
Andrei Markov
Markov is entering his 14th season with the bleu, blanc, et rouge. He has spent his whole career in Montreal. That longevity alone makes him a great candidate for Captain. He's not the most gifted goal scorer, he's never reached the 20-goal plateau, but with 344 career assists, he definitely helps out on goals. He has been with Montreal for both of their runs to the conference finals since they last won the Cup. He has 71 career playoff games under his belt, he knows what it takes for success.
P.K. Subban
Subban is the type of defenseman you hate to play against. He can deliver big hits and he can score, he's deadly on the powerplay from the point. Subban won the Norris trophy in 2013, becoming the 1st Hab to win the award since Chris Chelios did in 1989, the same year Subban was born. Subban hasn't even reached his prime yet. Although his defensive play can sometimes be a little suspect, he can let his emotions get the better of him, he is maturing and it is clear that Subban will be a defensive force in this league for many years to come. It's not a matter of will Subban be captain, it's a matter of when.
Max Pacioretty
Pacioretty has been an offensive force for the Habs in the past couple of seasons. He was 4th in goal scoring last season with 39 and he's done it quietly. He leads by example on the team. However, goal scoring alone isn't enough to wear the 'C' in my opinion. If I had a say, I would pick Subban or Markov as Captain ahead of Pacioretty. That's not a knock on him by any means, he's a skilled player, he can lead his team in other ways, he doesn't need the 'C'.
Tomas Plekanec
Plekanec is another longtime Hab. He's only ever played for Montreal making his NHL debut during the 2003-2004 NHL season (he played 2 games). Plekanec has played over 600 games for Montreal collecting 439 points along the way. Unlike Markov, Plekanec has hit the 20-goal plateau, and has done so regularly with 7 career 20+ goal seasons. He also has 69 career playoff games where he has 42 points (14 goals, 28 assists). His longevity with the club and his experience in the post-season makes him a good candidate to be the next Habs Captain.
New York Rangers
After sending Ryan Callahan to the Tampa Bay Lightning for Martin St. Louis, the Rangers found themselves without a captain. However, that didn't stop them from surprising everyone by making it to the Stanley Cup Final. The Rangers have a lot of skilled guys on their team, and a lot of them are great candidates for captain, that might be why the team hasn't named a captain yet. Let's see who could become the Rangers' next captain.
Martin St. Louis
The story of how St. Louis ended up on the Rangers is a messy one. St. Louis demanded a trade out of Tampa, because Lightning GM Steve Yzerman, who was also GM of Canada's national team for the 2014 Olympics, left him off the roster (he was later added as an injury replacement for Steven Stamkos). St. Louis had a no trade clause and would only waive it for a trade to the Rangers. St. Louis would make a good captain because, he's a veteran, and at 39 years old, he's still putting up 60+ points and is just 19 shy of 1,000 career points. He has also won a Stanley Cup, where he was instrumental for the Lightning (potting 25 points in 24 games). Even though he hasn't been on this team for a full season yet, there's no doubt of his leadership abilities.
Dan Girardi
If you don't feel comfortable giving the 'C' to a guy who is new to them team, then Girardi is a good pick.He has been with the Rangers since 2006. Girardi originally signed with the Rangers AHL affiliate Hartford, as an undrafted free agent. He has played 569 games, as well as 89 career playoff games all with the Rangers. During the lockout shortened 2012-2013 season, the Rangers named Girardi one of the Alternate Captains. It's clear the team sees him as a leader already.
Henrik Lundqvist
Okay, hear me out. I know technically goalies aren't allowed to wear the 'C,' however they are allowed to be named captain in name, the Vancouver Canucks did it with Roberto Luongo. Most people don't think of goalies as a leader because...well...they can be insane. But Lundqvist is a different breed of goaltender. He's not insane, he's just go to be one of the coolest people ever. Why not add captain of an original six franchise to his resume? And his 2.26 career GAA can't hurt either. Seriously, New York, make this happen!
San Jose Sharks
After the Sharks blew a 3-0 series lead to the eventual Stanley Cup Champion LA Kings, there was the feeling that something was going to happen in San Jose. They stripped Joe Thornton of his captaincy and took the 'As' off as well. The team wanted to head into training camp giving everyone a fresh slate and making anyone who wants to wear the letters earn it. So I'm going to restrict myself here: I'm going to see who would make the best captain on the team that isn't Joe Thornton (that would be too easy).
Logan Couture
Literally the first name I thought of when I think of non-Joe Thornton players on the Sharks (yes, even more so than Patrick Marleau. Spoiler alert: Marleau doesn't make this list). He's still young at 25, but he hasn't hit his prime yet, and is reliable for 50+ points a season. At only 25, he already has 56 career playoff games under his belt (18 goals, 18 assists). If the Sharks are looking to head in a different direction, Couture would be the logical choice for captain. He's the face of the next generation of talent on the Sharks.
Brent Burns
Burns is entering his 4th season with the Sharks. He plays defense and occasionally the wing. A guy who can be so versatile that he can play both defense and forward if needed would make a good leader. Not to mention his majestic beard. Last season he set a career high in points with 48 (22 goals, 26 assists). At 29, he's in his prime and the Sharks should take advantage of that, now would be a good time to hand him the 'C'. Plus, he has a majestic beard. Did I mention I like his beard?
Joe Pavelski
Pavelski has been with the Sharks for the past 8 seasons. In 561 career games with the Sharks he has 415 points. Along with his NHL experience, he has an Olympic silver medal from the 2010 Winter Games. He also had a career high 41 goals last season! He's at the tail end of his prime, but his experience would do wonders for the next wave of Sharks talent. I would not be shocked to see Pavelski wear the 'C' in the near future.
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