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Auston Matthews: Not the Only Choice for Captain

By Nick Bell |
Jan 1, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (34) during their game against the Detroit Red Wings during the Centennial Classic ice hockey game at BMO Field. The Maple Leafs beat the Red Wings 5-4 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (34) during their game against the Detroit Red Wings during the Centennial Classic ice hockey game at BMO Field. The Maple Leafs beat the Red Wings 5-4 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

 The Toronto Maple Leafs do not have a Captain. Auston Matthews is the obvious person for the role, but is experience an issue?

Anything that seems to be this much of a forgone conclusion deserves at least a little debate. We all know Auston Matthews is probably going to be the Captain, but I think there are at least two other good contenders. With that in mind, let’s take a look at should be named the next Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs?

#1: Auston Matthews

Matthews has undeniable talent. He is already an elite NHL player, and the only question is about his age and experience levels. . If being named Captain was strictly about ability to play the game and put pucks in the back of net, then Auston Matthews would absolutely be the first choice for the position.

#2: Tyler Bozak

If you’re a Leafs fan or even watch a Leafs game from time to time, you’ll notice that Tyler Bozak, one of the Alternate Captains, is usually the “Acting Captain.” This is a good choice based on the fact that he’s been with the team since 2009, and clearly has a strong presence on and off the ice.

You can see in interviews that and with his interactions with the referrers during a game that he already has a role similar to captain – which makes sense because he’s the longest serving member of the team.  It seems he is respected by his teammates and the media.

Bozak, however, isn’t necessarily one of the young “up and comers” anymore. At age 30, he’s one of the older players on the team, which doesn’t really go along with the Leafs young rebuild. Another factor is the upcoming expansion draft. Could we see Tyler Bozak drafted by the newly formed Vegas Golden Knights? If so, you’d have to imagine that a Captain position would be a strong possibility there.

#3: Nazem Kadri

The only other player on the current Leafs roster who has been around since 2009. Kadri, unlike Bozak, is still young at 26, and has been a consistently good player this season so far. He shows leadership skills on and off the ice and has somewhat of a no-nonsense attitude when playing the game.

Although he doesn’t have an A on his sweater at the moment, there is still a chance that he can prove this season why he deserves the C. One thing going against him is a history of suspensions and fines which do not scream “make me Captain.”  That being said, If he can continue to play like he has been playing so far this season, Kadri would be an obvious choice.

It’s Still Probably Matthews, but..

The Leafs will be patient with their choice, as they haven’t seemed to run into any problems so far without a Captain. If experience is an issue, they might just wait a while before naming a Captain.

Next: Leafs Should Call LA On Dowd

Matthews is the odds-on favorite, if only because it is extremely rare in the NHL for players of his calibre not to be the Captain of their team. That being said, if Leafs management favors experience over talent,  both Kadri and Bozak are excellent options.

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