Speculation: When will Auston Matthews get the C?

[JT AM da real deal]

Great captains and leaders lead by example.

Short-term commitments to the team to maximize earnings is not reflective of a player that puts winning ahead of personal gain, as there is no "I" in team.

The more personal cap space you consume the more you weaken the supporting cast in a Salary Cap World, and the shorter the contract the more you ensure you're among the highest paid.

Actions speak louder than words and Matthews actions represent more of a mercenary and hired gun Persona than someone willing to put down long-term roots and then put team as his highest and first priority.

Matthews has a god given talent and an elite goal scorer (among the best in the World), so as a hired gun at top $$ he earns his keep, but as leader to keep insisting he be among the highest paid in the game to do so he falls short in what you would want from your captain to set an example others will follow. IMO

Other Leafs players follow his example using him as a comparable to personal wealth and gain, but not into battle and do anything it takes to win.

Not everyone is cut from the same cloth and not everyone makes a good leader or captain.

Of all the current Leafs its Morgan Rielly that carries himself in interviews and on the ice as a leader and the one most deserving to wear the C on the Leafs, IMO

Very well stated .. Mo carried da team on his back last playoffs .. he is long term here and he is committed .. next captain .. Matty has never captained any team in his life except an nhl all-star team

 

[Confucius]

Only way I see Mathews getting the C is if JT retires and I don’t think it will be anytime soon. I’d think JT would give the team a huge discount on his next deal, so I just couldn’t picture the club taking the C from him as a thanks.

 

[thewave]

Never. He's not a leader, except in the mercenary dept. Why would you give a mercenary the C?

In 2023 C = CASH

 

[ZEBROA]

Matthews will get the C when Marner can sing the lowest part in " Swing low sweet chariot".

 

[Sypher04]

Great captains and leaders lead by example.

Short-term commitments to the team to maximize earnings is not reflective of a player that puts winning ahead of personal gain, as there is no "I" in team.

The more personal cap space you consume the more you weaken the supporting cast in a Salary Cap World, and the shorter the contract the more you ensure you're among the highest paid.

Actions speak louder than words and Matthews actions represent more of a mercenary and hired gun Persona than someone willing to put down long-term roots and then put team as his highest and first priority.

Matthews has a god given talent and an elite goal scorer (among the best in the World), so as a hired gun at top $$ he earns his keep, but as leader to keep insisting he be among the highest paid in the game to do so he falls short in what you would want from your captain to set an example others will follow. IMO

Other Leafs players follow his example using him as a comparable to personal wealth and gain, but not into battle and do anything it takes to win.

Not everyone is cut from the same cloth and not everyone makes a good leader or captain.

Of all the current Leafs its Morgan Rielly that carries himself in interviews and on the ice as a leader and the one most deserving to wear the C on the Leafs, IMO

Matthews’ contract extension term has precisely nothing to do with his deservedness or not for the captaincy.

With this said, Matthews is a leader on this team, with or without the C, so I don’t think it overly matters he doesn’t currently wear it.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Only way I see Mathews getting the C is if JT retires and I don’t think it will be anytime soon. I’d think JT would give the team a huge discount on his next deal, so I just couldn’t picture the club taking the C from him as a thanks.

I don't see the captaincy as something JT would want to hang on to no matter what. I could see a time where everyone agrees that it's Auston time and JT simply hands it over.

 

[Stamkos4life]

I think this needs to happen sooner rather than later. One of the biggest what if with this team, IMO, is what would have happened if Matthews got the C instead of Tavares. I think Matthews has more of a voice and is more of a leader than Tavares (who is more suited to lead a veteran team).

Yeah what couldve been had matthews not dropped his pants at a lady while drunk.

I wonder if the team even wants him to have it. Gotta think there's some negative feelings considering he doesn't leave any money for anyone else.

 

[ShaneFalco]

This is just one example of why he shouldn't ever waer the C

 

[Gary Nylund]

This is just one example of why he shouldn't ever waer the C

Agreed. This is a perfect example of why this team is a playoff loser.

 

[TOGuy14]

Is this thread a joke?

Dude has never delivered in clutch moments and just took us to the cleaners on his most recent contract while only committing to 4 additional years

Outside of being a very good goal scorer in the regular season there is nothing that makes me think Matthews would be a good captain

 

[myleafs]

Is this thread a joke?

Dude has never delivered in clutch moments and just took us to the cleaners on his most recent contract while only committing to 4 additional years

Outside of being a very good goal scorer in the regular season there is nothing that makes me think Matthews would be a good captain

I agree, on the other hand, when I was younger I was pretty good at hockey but a little out of control and somewhat selfish in that I would take stupid penalties etc and the coach made me captain. I was stunned as were most of my teammates but it changed me and I felt the responsibility and I became much more of a leader than I had been so maybe just maybe it could work like that with 34. I have had a couple experiences in school and work like that as well and also giving others who were maybe not as serious more responsibility and funny enough it seemed to work out positively. People take it on more than they dont.

 

[banks]

I think he'd be behind Tavares, Rielly, and possibly others (Marner??) in line for a captaincy. No reason to give it to him when there's other leaders like them.

I'm not in the room, so I won't pretend to know how they all carry themselves. But I don't seem to remember many moments where Matthews took charge other than during play. I think a captain needs more than just the "by example" thing. Just being good at hockey doesn't make you a leader.

 

[Canadian Finn]

answer?

never.

 

[notbias]

Agreed. This is a perfect example of why this team is a playoff loser.

No team ever wins the cup when one of their top players avoids an altercation...

 

[Gary Nylund]

No team ever wins the cup when one of their top players avoids an altercation...

Ever heard the saying the expression proves the rule?

There's no need for phrases like "no team ever". Drop the strawman routine, it's not a good look and it's certainly not conducive to intelligent discussion. I'm also not certain if Pietro not standing up to Tkachuk is indicative of what the Vegas team is like overall whereas our team is definitely knows for our meekness.

 

[cannucky]

Ever heard the saying the expression proves the rule?

There's no need for phrases like "no team ever". Drop the strawman routine, it's not a good look and it's certainly not conducive to intelligent discussion. I'm also not certain if Pietro not standing up to Tkachuk is indicative of what the Vegas team is like overall whereas our team is definitely knows for our meekness.

The saying is "The Exception Proves the Rule " , Mathews can have the C when he grows some hair down and there learns to play like a man .

 

[ZEBROA]

This is just one example of why he shouldn't ever waer the C

Thats not why. Laughing at someone punching u like a little boy, should just agrevate that same person. He dont need to get mad and start fighting but get even in game on ice later. Increase the pace and score goals, A Goal hurt way more than any punch. But he dont get even with goals , thats the big problem in the playoffs.
Another problem is that he dont seem mature enough for anyone to listen to him. On the other hand if Tavares was a animal he would be a three-toed sloth.

 

[Eternal Leaf]

We've been watching him for years, he's not leadership material. The best player doesn't have to be the best leader too. I see a lot of young superstars get the "C" and it seems forced because of stature.

Even Tavares isn't much of a leader but he's steady and that's sometimes okay for this market.

Like I said earlier in this thread, Rielly is a true leader and the only deserving option. You can sense it and even the players talk about him in that manner.

 

[alliuk12]

when he has earned it and not before

 

[Sypher04]

Anyone here claiming that he isn’t leadership material have zero clue what they are talking about. Same can be said for those claiming he should be captain already. We have precisely no clue what happens behind closed doors. Debating captaincy is an odd thing we do as a fanbase as we only get a small glimpse of the full picture and yet many feel qualified to critique the choices made.

 

[Racer88]

Agreed. This is a perfect example of why this team is a playoff loser.

Agreed. I cannot ever unsee that. That has defined this team for years now

 

[Sypher04]

Agreed. This is a perfect example of why this team is a playoff loser.

Agreed. I cannot ever unsee that. That has defined this team for years now

Absurd.

 

[Racer88]

Absurd.

Truth.

 

[Kazparov]

56 and counting....wtf do you expect. Top paid players turning tail in the playoffs. I never recall "FANS" turning on Gilmore, Clark, Sittler, Salming.
Top 3 ticket prices in the league, top 2 richest club, failure on the ice.
When you command the % of the cap that certain players command, you are not a real Leaf in the hearts of many until you have given all, taken your lumps, stood up for the Crest, defended the honour.
Fans and fellow alumni cried for Salmìng, not just because of the terrible disease, but because everyone saw what a man, a warrior and a Leaf he was and what he gave.
Fast forward to MM turning back at the blueline, taking a slap, Stamkos being tough,
If you cannot see that?!

You're looking at the past with rose colored glasses. "Fans" absolutely criticised Wendel and Dougie and Sittler and Mats. It's the same song 10, 20, 30 years later.

Prices are what they are because the free market supports it. They dont owe us tickets because we're fans, that's not how the world works.

And people cried for Salming because he is a goddamn human being and the disease which killed him is terrible. If Marner died from the same disease in a few decades and someone's repsonse was criticizing him for "turning back at the blue line" then they're a piece of shit.

 

[ShaneFalco]

Agreed. This is a perfect example of why this team is a playoff loser.

He shows some push-back there and some fire, and it would ignite the team. Well, maybe not a Dubas-constructed team, but in general