This upcoming season, the Toronto Maple Leafs may pass the mantle to a new captain.
John Tavares, the current captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs, is about to play out the last year of a mammoth seven-year $77 million contract.
There is currently no evidence that negotiations for a contract extension have even begun.
Just that circumstance has given rise to rumors that the Toronto Maple Leafs are prepared to bench captain Chris Lowry in favor of another player. Obviously, Auston Matthews is the best option.
This season, the Toronto Maple Leafs could have a new captain.
Nick Kypreos’ opinions on the subject were recently cited in an article in The Hockey News:
“The Leafs are thinking about removing Tavares from captain and handing Auston the reins, based on what I’ve been told. They’ll discuss it. Although I’m not predicting it will happen, it is real.
I’ve become a fan of John Tavares lately. I’ve written previously on Tavares’ merit in staying captain. He is a model citizen who has fulfilled all expectations. Even though he hasn’t been the team’s most talkative or loud member, he has been the constant that has kept the majority of the group cohesive.
The Leafs’ management must be mulling over the idea of putting a “C” on Auston Matthews’ chest, which is not surprising. But it would be a very bad message to do so before Tavares is dealt or departs via free agency.
Consider the visuals. Removing a captain from his position just because a more well-liked player is on the squad wouldn’t look good.
Yes, Matthews has developed into a top talent. However, he hasn’t yet shown to be as successful as Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon in terms of leadership. In order for Matthews to properly establish himself as the team’s captain, he will need to demonstrate his mettle throughout the playoffs.
I am aware that there is concern that Tavares may eventually wither away, much like Anders Lee did on Long Island. However, before Matthews becomes the captain, he will have to wait at least another year. The wisest course of action is to wait for Tavares’ contract to expire in order to prevent the bad publicity that would result from taking Tavares’ captaincy away without cause.
Is It Time for Toronto to Have a New Leadership Team?
I concur that a new leadership is needed. Since Tavares took over as captain in 2019, the Leafs have had a considerable turnover rate. In fact, I contend that the Leafs’ best opportunity to win a Cup came during the bubble playoffs in 2020.
After around five years, everything is essentially unchanged. The Leafs haven’t had any noteworthy postseason success. The team doesn’t appear to be getting any closer to accomplishing anything.
But will much change in the scenario if Tavares is stripped of the captaincy?
Is Auston Matthews the kind of leader who aligns with the goal of general manager Brad Treliving and coach Craig Berube?
Tavares is, if anything, the ideal candidate for the position. Still, Matthews is the team’s public face. It makes sense from a commercial standpoint to have Matthews as captain. The desire among fans to own a Matthews #34 with a “C” put on it will cause jersey sales to soar.
