Is Mats Sundin coming back? If not who will be the next captain of the Maple Leafs? I've heard this many times within the past few months and it is unclear to many as it is to me. So I will give you some possibilities of who could be the Leafs next captain.
Most people believe that McCabe, or Kabrele will be the next captain, some people think Stajan should be the candidate.
Some people also believe that we should not have a captain, which if we did that we would have 4 A’s rather than 3 A’s and 1 C. Which would make sense until someone shows the needed veteran leadership that the Toronto Maple Leafs need.
So if you’re a Toronto Maple Leaf fan and you bleed blue and white you probably have your own view on who should become the next captain. So speak your mind and tell me your opinion.
By Mitch Blake
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3 months ago
you guys might think i'm crazy, but i would give the C to Antropov if anyone i storngly belive he will be the next leader of this team for G, A, & PTS.... lead by example
if not then i would like to see 4 A rather then a 3 A and 1 C
3 months ago
Kaberle I think is the logical choice, although he doesn't speak up too much.
Other possible suggestions I think are Steen, maybe Stajan
3 months ago
Kaberle, Antropov, Steen and Stajan all need to step up in the leadership department next season.
In fact, I think I'd give the C to Steen, with the other three getting A's.
3 months ago
Kaberle gets my vote, although I too wouldn't mind if Steen got the "C" either.
3 months ago
I'd be scared to give it Kaberle. A captain is supposed to lead the team, and that means being unselfish and passing to teammates. Kaberle does enough of that! He's the most accurate shooter in the NHL...but he never shoots. Guy needs to get a little more selfish, giving him the C could only hurt his development in that respect.
As for Stajan, guy's got some great leadership abilities, but it's a big jump going from having no official leadership responsibilities right to being the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Give him an A first, and let things play out.
3 months ago
Leadership means passing to teammates? That seems a little far-fetched...
It depends, do you want a vocal captain or a guy who leads by example? Kaberle would be fine for the latter, but I'd say Steen would be the most vocal of the bunch. He's got a good head on his shoulders.
I agree, going from nothing to captain might be a bit much for Stajan, but definitely give him an A.
Jamal Mayers would be another guy to look at, at least for an A.
3 months ago
I agree that Jamal Mayers would be an interesting choice Josh, I think with all the goings-on we forgot about him. Granted he doesn't have the history with the roster, but he could be an interesting choice if Sundin doesn't return.
I still think Steen is the future captain of this team though, with Stajan following close behind. You don't necessarily need an All-Star as your captain.
BT
from 3 months ago
Agreed 100% on your last point, BT. I'm disgusted by a player like Alexei Yashin wearing the C just because he's the best player on the team. I'd much rather see the Tim Taylors and Ethan Moreaus of the world wearing the C. After all, the captain is supposed to be your leader, not necessarily your best player.
Of course, Steen should be one of the Leafs' best players for a long time. He just needs more offensive minutes to break through, IMO.
3 months ago
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3 months ago
C: Kaberle
A: Stajan
A: Wellwood
A: Antropov
from 3 months ago
Alan, maybe the Canucks will make Wellwood their captain to replace Naslund... LOL!
from 3 months ago
Wellwood is in Vancouver now so giving him an "A" would definitely be a mistake.
from 3 months ago
oh shit...i knew that guys
from 3 months ago
suuuuure you did... just like you knew all the answers to M's last quiz...
from 3 months ago
ouch, josh. lol
3 months ago
Maybe ask the current Captain (Sundin) once he has made up his mind, why put the cart before the horse.
The Leafs still have a Captain, however if and when Mats decides to leave who better to pass the Captaincy on then the current captain, I mean who else knows the players on and off the ice better then Mats....Just a Thought!
3 months ago
Are we all forgetting about a warrior that deserves the C more than anyone on the team....? There is this guy by the name of JASON BLAKE who should deserve the "C" ...he has done nothing but lead this team by example. Steen is the future captain of this club I agree with Brian on this one...However, Blake is the guy with the most games in the NHL and should be a great Captain...He played every game last year and should be on the the first line with Pony and Nik, Remember the Line of Wellwood Pony and Nik a year ago when Sundin got hurt...there wasn't another team that could shut down two big men with one little warrior....that line led the NHL for 4 weeks straight...then Sundin came back and Paul Maurice decided to split the line up again...WHAT A MISTAKE....soooooo...
Blake - Captain
Kaberle - Assistant
Stajan - Assistant
McCabe - Give him a GW on his jersey.....for GAME WATCHER....!!!! LOL
from 3 months ago
the notion of Blake as captain is interesting and has merit.
from 3 months ago
yeah! Blake for captain! I'm in!
3 months ago
Blake complains way too much for the C. I hear he is horrible in the locker room as well.
from 3 months ago
blake won the masterton trophy for sportsmanship. he played 82 games with cancer. i never heard him complain once. the more i think about it, the more i like him wearing the C. he's one gutsy dude.
from 3 months ago
I unfortunately cant find a lot of the incidences regarding Blake over the season since most of the websites are blocked from work (i love my job?). I was probably being a little harsh since he did get diagnosed with leukemia and that whole thing. Looking at last season I really don't understand why so many people want Blake to be Captain (I could easily be missing something). How often did he face the media? Didn't he want to get out of Toronto? Didn't he say that it was better in Edmonton? I just wouldnt be willing to give him the C right away. See how he is after 20 games.
3 months ago
Thanks Mark for you support...Yes it is very interesting to have a guy that is there everyday...he was not very or as supportive in the locker room for one reason...there was enough leadership (Or too many Cheifs and not enough Indians so to speak) already there......We had, Sundin, Tucker, McCabe all trying to be the leaders here...Blake is the best candidate in my view due to the fact that he is a bit of an agitator and he KNOWS the in's and out's of the game...Look for him to be Mr. Wilson's first choice in captain...seeing as he couldn't lure my boy Marleau over from San Jose !!! LOL
3 months ago
Without a doubt, Antropov is the logical choice to be the next captain. Kaberle's too quiet to be a leader, McCabe is long gone, and Antropov has really improved in his game as well as his leadership skills and the way how he handles himself in front of the camera.
3 months ago
Blake deserves the C and Antropov comes in a close second in my eyes.
C = Blake
A = Stajan
A = Antropov
A = Mayers or Steen
However, given Antropov's rapid improvement, I wouldn't be surprised to see 4 A's until someone steps up and fills in the leadership position within the first quarter of the season.
3 months ago
Cliff won't let 4'a's happen sorry to say...he is going to have to stand up for what he believes in and thats giving the C to the most senior member on the club besides Cujo....actually...that's not a bad idea...Put the C on CUJO !!!!! oh boy... I think I may have just discredited eveything I have written up till now with saying that....lol
3 months ago
Antropov is not a leader in my eyes. Blake would be the best choice for the captain. With Stajan, Steen and Kaberle as the assistants. Logical choice in my book.
C-Blake
A-Stajan
A-Kaberle
A-Steen
3 months ago
I would either probably want steen, or Mccabe even though he had a bad season last year, he has grit and possibly some talent, something Mccabe does that Sundin does is fight Sundin would stand up for his players but Mccabe will do a better job of it, Steen would be good because hes starting to produce more and get a little more aggrsive, i think maybe he should be an A for awhile and decide if he should be the captain.
3 months ago
How about trying to sign a care-taker captain like Peca or Shanahan. Guys who won't be huge on the ice, but are still leaders and who command respect. They would be great role-models for the development of younger players and I doubt they would cost too much (especially Peca who was healthier last season and played 65 games). The Leafs have lots of cap space.
2 months ago
Okay, Mitch, Josh, all of you who write for this site. There are only TWO Alternate Captains and on a team with a Captain. If they were to have no captain, there would be THREE.
Last season, Sundin was captain with Mccabe and Kaberle as the Alternates. At the beggining of the year, Tucker wore the A as well if any of these guys were out of the lineup, though this became Antropov's duty once Tucker became a negative whiner.
Also, Mccabe is not a possibility to be captain considering the fact that the Leafs are trying to pressure him into waiving his no trade clause. He may not even dress for the team.
I see Antropov, Kaberle, and Blake or Steen wearing A's next season, without a Captain, if Sundin doesn't return. I think the next leafs captain will be Luke Schenn in two or three years, unless they sign a veteran who deserves it between now and then.
2 months ago
rob and jd know what's going on - from fletch's point of view, it couldn't really matter that much anyways, since it seems clear that he's playing conservative enough to aim for tavares in the draft next year - there will likely be three co-assistant captains next year if mats decides to stay away.
the truth of this argument is self-evident: the fact we're even debating who the captain should be means no one has stepped up enough to deserve the title. only two of the five mentioned (kabbie, steen, stajan, blake, antropov) have played close to their potential: tomas and nick. the former isn't vocal enough, and the latter has one decent season under his belt. sorry to deflate your man-crushes gentlemen, but blake, stajan or steen? how do you figure? any of the three of them could have been sent away like welly was, and nary a tear would've been shed by leaf nation. we could combine alan and mark's ideas and get raycroft the leaf C!! but oh yeah - he'll be sharpening petr budaj's skates and taping his sticks all year in denver...
get a <$2 mil rent-a-vet or be up front and admit to the nation that this is a building year and we can do without a captain.
2 months ago
I believe Antropov should be the captian... in a few years, but this year it should be Kaberle. I don't belive you can make someone captian that doesn't even have an "A". All this crap about Mayers he just got here why the hell should he be captian before all these other guys that deseve it. If you really want to see who deseves the "C" give it a year and then make the desision
Kaberle-C
Antropov-A
Steen-A
Ponikarovsky-A
Yeah thats right Ponikarovsky everyone seems tohave forgot about him
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