As the architect of the Toronto Maple Leafs, it’s not likely that Kyle Dubas had it in mind but he built a club that can feature a captain on every line.
When the Toronto Maple Leafs take the ice for the first time in 2021, they will feature a very special lineup. Their roster is stacked with former captains, which allows them to very likely play games with a captain on each of their four forward lines.
General manager Kyle Dubas was criticized for the composition of last year’s team. The internet was rife with ideas on how to address the Leafs problems and take them beyond the obstacles keeping them from progressing beyond the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. One thing that has never been in question is the collection of dressing room leaders. Over this offseason, that has only improved.
As much leadership that the franchise has, only one player can be the official captain. Ahead of the 2019-20 season, John Tavares was given that title. He became and remains the 25th captain in Maple Leafs history. It was a move that some saw coming while others were surprised that the clues they saw online didn’t lead to Auston Matthews getting the ‘C’.
When Matthews didn’t get the nod, the Maple Leafs conspiracy theorists believed that the plan was to make him the captain. They say that the plan changed when the news broke that he had been charged with disorderly conduct. The charge was later dismissed. We will get back to Matthews shortly.