Philadelphia Flyers and 5 Other Teams Need a Captain, so Who Gets the 'C'?

For any NHL player, there may be no greater individual honor than being asked to have the letter "C" stitched onto your jersey.

As a team captain, a player not only represents the definitive leader of his team, but often, the very identity and personality of the franchise.

Then again, that honor might quickly turn into a burden should your team fail to perform as expected.

Some players shrink under such pressure; others rise to the occasion.

While not all captains are created equal, designating their team's top leader is one of the most important decisions a hockey club could make if it has designs on winning a Stanley Cup.

Only one team in league history has ever won a Stanley Cup without anyone wearing the "C."

The Boston Bruins won in 1970, and again in 1972, despite no player being officially designated as captain.

Still, when you've got Bobby Orr on your team, do you really need to get out the needle and thread to let people know who's leading the team?

In the last 40 years, every team who has lifted the Stanley Cup has seen one man designated as their undisputed leader do it first.

Be they iconic stars like Wayne Gretzky or Steve Yzerman, or journeyman veterans like Dave Andreychuck and Rod Brind'Amor, a team needs a captain—period.

Right now, there are six NHL teams set to enter training camp with no man designated as captain.

This isn't too uncommon, as teams often use training camp as a way to identify who among their club is worthy of leading his team's charge.

However, each of these teams better have this worked out prior to the season because, as is the case in the "new" NHL, the march towards a Stanley Cup begins in October.

Here's a look at who should be blessed (or cursed, as the case may be) with skipper duties for their respective clubs.

Chris Pronger: Philadelphia Flyers

Most team captains are patient, professional and gracious when it comes to dealing with the media.

Based on those qualities, Chris Pronger should never be in the Philadelphia Flyers' captaincy conversation.

Nevertheless, when it comes to experience, leadership and, most particular to the Flyers, toughness, Pronger is the clear choice for the job.

He has either captained or been an assistant captain on every NHL team he's been on, and now, with the departure of Mike Richards, is the most logical choice to lead the City of Brotherly Love's hockey team.

Not that Prongs is much on love, of any kind.

Paul Stastny: Colorado Avalanche

Though he's only 25, calling Paul Stastny "old man" might not be too far off considering the nubile core of talent in Colorado.

The Avalanche have an impressive crop of young players that some feel might be ready to take a leap or two forward this season—and perhaps make some noise in the playoffs.

If they do, it seems reasonable to expect that Stastny will be the man steering the ship.

After spending his first few seasons under the wing of legendary captain Joe Sakic, Stastny has seen first-hand what it takes to deliver first-class leadership in the NHL.

His maturity also suggests that he'll be able to handle the added pressure that comes with captaincy duties, and may even be able to help guide peers like Matt Duchene along their budding NHL careers.

While veteran Milan Hejduk will certainly get some nods for the "C," the Avalanche are all about looking forward at this point, making Stastny the best man for the job.

David Booth: Florida Panthers

GM Dale Tallon has apparently decided that owning a wallet is a wholly unnecessary thing.

After all, when you spend money like he has this summer, what's the point of keeping it tucked away?

Tallon seemingly signed any and everybody he could this summer in hopes that overspending on a new team will yield immediate results for a Panthers club that hasn't seen any action past Game 82 for 10 straight years.

It remains an expensive gamble, and one not all that likely to pay off, but, the team's shot at righting a ship that's been listing for a decade will be made better with new leadership identified.

The guy that seems most destined to take on this role is David Booth.

His work ethic, speed and scoring touch have been one of just a few bright spots for the Florida franchise over the past few seasons, and his tenure with the club (five years), combined with his long-term contract, make him an ideal choice for captain.

Jason Pominville: Buffalo Sabres

I'm not sure what the deal is with Buffalo and captains, but they've got a strange way of dealing with the issue.

From not having any captain, to having two guys wear the "C" during the season, the Sabres have not had an unquestioned skipper in their locker room since the days of Michael Peca.

If new owner Terry Pegula is as serious as he sounds about the Sabres finally winning a Stanley Cup, he'd do well to instruct head coach Lindy Ruff to put a "C" on someone's chest before the start of the season.

Buffalo has a lot of guys who could ably fill this role, but Jason Pominville has displayed the kind of consistency and work ethic that seems to define Sabres hockey.

Kyle Okposo: New York Islanders

While John Tavares may still be the biggest visible star on the rise on Long Island, it is Kyle Okposo who may have the most potential for young leadership on an Islanders team still in need of a focused identity.

Okposo's fiery physical game and great skating ability have proved to be valuable on-ice assets, while his tireless work ethic is a quality even his veteran teammates would do well to emulate.

It is the fierce game he plays that has contributed to both injuries and general fatigue over the past two seasons, but he, like his team, is still maturing and Okposo should find a way to balance out his game sooner rather than later.

Though Tavares or veteran Mark Streit might also come up in the Islanders' captain conversation, anointing Okposo as franchise's new leader could be their best move.

Zach Parise: New Jersey Devils

Given his tenuous future with the team—embodied by the one-year contract almost begrudgingly extended to him this summer—making Zach Parise the leader of the New Jersey Devils may not seem to be a smart move.

Then again, if we're to judge a captaincy based on contract status, Ilya Kovalchuk would be the Devils' captain; a notion more laughable than the length of his contract.

Parise embodies all the qualities one would want in a captain, as well as the offensive capabilities that would enable him to put the team on his back for long stretches of time.

Naming Parise captain may not be enough to lay the groundwork for a longer term deal this season, but, in the short run, it would provide the Devils with solid leadership.

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