Who Will Be The Next Toronto Maple Leafs Captain?

The Toronto Maple Leafs are facing the possibility of their longtime captain, Mats Sundin, either retiring or playing for another NHL team this year. This possibility certainly begs the question for Maple Leafs fans-who will be our next captain? Since their is no clear cut choice, there are a few options for the Maple Leafs to consider in answering this question, and Im going to attempt to analyze each one.

The first option, and perhaps the most likely at this point, is Pavel Kubina. Up until now I would not have considered Kubina to be in the lead for a list of possible captains. However, Toronto Maple Leafs GM Cliff Fletcher has recently announced he is giving strong consideration to this possibility. Since it now appears likely that Bryan McCabe will waive his no movement clause and accept a trade, Kubina will likely be staying put with the Toronto Maple Leafs. That leaves him and Thomas Kaberle as the leaders of a young defensive lineup. Kubina had a good season last year, and established himself as the Maple Leafs top defensive player. Leading by example is a big part of being a captain, and if he can keep that up, Toronto's new blue liners can learn alot from Pavel Kubina. Reportedly, he doesn't shy away from stepping up in the dressing room, and making his voice heard.

In my opinion, the second most likely option for captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs is Thomas Kaberle. Assuming that Bryan McCabe will no longer be here, Kaberle is the only remaining "alternate captain" who will be with the Maple Leafs this season. This already gives him some leadership experience, and he has been with the Toronto Maple Leafs long enough to know how things work. While he is not as good defensively as Pavel Kubina, he is certainly capable of leading by example on the offensive front. He had 53 points last season, and is one of the NHL's better puck moving defenseman. His consistency makes him a good choice in my opinion, and gives the younger players something to look up to.

Another player receiving consideration is Matt Stajan, though I believe he is the Maple Leafs most unlikely choice for captain. While he stepped up and took on a leadership role in the absence of Mats Sundin last year, he is still too young and inexperienced to be the full time captain in my opinion. His point total of 33 from last year isnt bad, but it also isnt great. Usually, a team wants one of its best players to be its captain, although this is not ALWAYS the case. As I mentioned before, leading by example is a big part of the captain's job. I can certainly see Matt Stajan as the Maple Leafs captain in a few years time, but right now he is too young and his production isnt quite high enough. Im willing to bet that Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Ron Wilson will come to the same conclusion.

Toronto Maple Leafs To Rotate The "C"?
This brings me to my last point. Maple Leafs GM Cliff Fletcher has also stated that he is considering rotating the position of captain from month to month. On the surface this seems like a strange idea, but it may not actually be that bad. Other teams have done it in the past, and it would give each player the chance to prove themselves as a leader. Since their isnt a clear choice for the position of Maple Leafs captain right now, this could be the right solution. Im willing to bet that after a few months, a clear leader would emerge after a few players have had their shot. This doesnt have to be done for the whole season-just long enough for the Maple Leafs coaching staff to guage each player's leadership qualities, and enable them to find the clear candidate for the job of Leafs captain. This would put everyone on a level playing field, and give all the top players their shot at leading.

Of course, this topic will be completely irrelevant if Mats Sundin decides to return. The Toronto Maple Leafs will be able to put their "captain sweepstakes" to rest.