The Toronto Maple Leafs have been without a captain since the departure of Dion Phaneuf just over a year ago. Management has opted to ice four alternate captains rather than slapping the ‘C’ on just anyone.
If you ask me, it’s the right move. I don’t believe that since Phaneuf’s departure, the Toronto Maple Leafs have had anyone ready of representing the Leafs as the 18th captain in franchise history.
The Maple Leafs organization has adopted the ideology of representing the crest on the front of the sweater rather than the name on the back. That’s a good thing, Lou Lamoriello and Mike Babcock have done a good job of instilling and upholding that. However, they’ll need to decide on a captain that will carry through with that very belief while also leading his team at the same time.
Some people have the thought that the Leafs next captain will be the first to hoist the Stanley Cup and end the drought that’s been lingering since 1967.
It’s a nice thought, one I hope comes to fruition. There’s more than one option as to who should wear the ‘C’ on the Leafs roster, leading to the obvious question. Who will the next Leafs captain be?
Auston Matthews
The first person most will jump to is Auston Matthews, deservedly so. He is a naturally gifted leader, quiet at times but being loud does not always carry the notion of leadership. Some leaders lead quietly and effectively, while others lead loudly and also effectively.
Unfortunately for fans, we can’t look inside the Leafs locker room to see which player is leading the team behind the scenes. But, when we watch them play, we can. A good leader doesn’t simply manage or tell others what to do, he gets involved and helps the cause.
Matthews does this on a regular basis. Watch him on any given night as he directs his line on what to do. He doesn’t stop there, though. Once the puck is dropped, there are two outcomes for a center. Either they win the faceoff or lose it.
If Matthews wins it he gets into position to make a play. We see him more often than not taking offensive zone faceoffs, meaning winning the draw is a critical part of sustaining offensive zone pressure. Now, if a regular centerman loses the draw, they lose the draw. If a good centerman appears to lose the draw, he will battle hard and fight to get the puck back before he outright loses. Matthews is an example of that.
In this video, Matthews technically lost the draw. The puck clearly went the opposite way of the Leafs defenders, but he never gave up regaining possession, resulting in a goal by Connor Brown. Playing the center position is a large part of a hockey team and it often requires leadership to do it well.
In his rookie season in the NHL, we are seeing this kind of leadership from Matthews. A leader shows grit and determination, always playing their best game. He is capable of being the leader of this team even if he isn’t the loudest player on the ice or the bench.
Morgan Rielly
Rielly has been the Leafs lone up-and-coming star on the Leafs roster since he was drafted 5th overall in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft until this season. He has been the cornerstone defenseman on a team that has lacked defensive talent for many years resulting in a lot of media attention.
He’s handled it all quite well and from watching him play, anyone can tell that he’s a natural leader. He plays a good game and has been the backbone of the Leafs rebuild since Brendan Shanahan first implemented the system.
Finally, Rielly has received some help as the roster has been stockpiled with loads of talent. The Leafs may still be missing another top-pairing defenseman, but they are trending upwards. Zaitsev has played well in his first NHL season giving Rielly someone capable of keeping up with his pace.
Rielly is considered a veteran on this young team and by way of example, a leader for guys like Auston Matthews, Mitchell Marner, and William Nylander among others. He exemplifies true leadership qualities and is only in his fourth year with the Leafs. He’s the kind of guy I can see leading the team behind the scenes as well as on the ice.
Here, Rielly makes a nice defensive play against top-line competition in Alex Ovechkin. This is the kind of work that shows the younger guys how important backchecking is. It might be a simple defensive play to some. But to me, it shows his leadership capabilities, instituting hard work and determination resulting in Leafs gaining puck possession.
Leadership
A lot of people confuse being an NHL star with being an NHL captain. You don’t have to be the best player to be the captain.
A good example of that is the Florida Panthers captain, Derek MacKenzie. Clearly, he is not the best player on the team, but management has decided that he is their best leader at the moment and is deemed fit to don the ‘C’ for the club.
Talent alone is not reasoning enough for being named the captain of one of the most historical franchises in the NHL let alone any team in the league.
More so in playing for Lou and Mike, it will take a lot more than talent. Now, there is definitely a correlation between talent and leadership. Most guys that are superstars in the league are leaders by way of example. Sidney Crosby and Jonathan Toews are two players with superstar talent, bringing a lot to the table in regards to leadership.
Matthews and Rielly have a lot of obvious potential as far as talent goes. Both are already considered stars in the league as young as they are. Yet, they just represent two players on the Leafs roster that I think could potentially be the Leafs, next captain out of many. Only time will tell as we look toward the Leafs naming their next captain.
Matthews seems like the obvious choice but it’s not just him in the discussion as Rielly should also be held in contention. Again, there are more options than named above, but these two players seem like they’re the most likely.