Proposal: Make Girgensons the Captain this Season

[Jame]

Saying something has a chance of happening does not = expecting it to happen.

homer (pretty decent chance) to realist (i dont expect it to happen) = recognizing the folly of the original statement

 

[NotABadPeriod]

Girgensons isn't going to be Landeskog, but that's not what the captaincy is about.

I think Girgensons has the maturity (yes, maturity...I really don't know where the "immaturity" comments are coming from) and temperament that a guy like Landeskog has. Talent wise is a different question, but to suggest that he shouldn't get it because he's too young, or somebody else might come along...to me Landeskog proves both those arguments to be way overblown. That's what my comparison was really meant to get at. Though I do think Girgensons has a higher offensive ceiling than many in this thread, I'm not expecting him to produce as much as Landeskog will in their primes. But I really do think he will prove many wrong about his offensive capabilities. I do think he will be an all-situations guy, who will be out on the final shifts of a one-goal game.

To me, it is really this simple: if you think he should be the captain of this team, then give it to him now and let him grow with that role. Delaying it doesn't make much sense to me given that I don't see Girgensons as the type of player who would crumble under that pressure--I think he would actually excel given that responsibility. Saving it for someone who may or may not even be on the team doesn't make much sense to me either--if you've got a guy who is deserving now, then act on it.

Anyways, that's just my opinion, which counts for pretty much nothing. We'll see what Nolan wants to do.

 

[Jame]

Girgensons isn't going to be Landeskog, but that's not what the captaincy is about.

I think Girgensons has the maturity (yes, maturity...I really don't know where the "immaturity" comments are coming from) and temperament that a guy like Landeskog has. Talent wise is a different question, but to suggest that he shouldn't get it because he's too young, or somebody else might come along...to me Landeskog proves both those arguments to be way overblown. That's what my comparison was really meant to get at. Though I do think Girgensons has a higher offensive ceiling than many in this thread, I'm not expecting him to produce as much as Landeskog will in their primes. But I really do think he will prove many wrong about his offensive capabilities. I do think he will be an all-situations guy, who will be out on the final shifts of a one-goal game.

To me, it is really this simple: if you think he should be the captain of this team, then give it to him now and let him grow with that role. Delaying it doesn't make much sense to me given that I don't see Girgensons as the type of player who would crumble under that pressure--I think he would actually excel given that responsibility. Saving it for someone who may or may not even be on the team doesn't make much sense to me either--if you've got a guy who is deserving now, then act on it.

Anyways, that's just my opinion, which counts for pretty much nothing. We'll see what Nolan wants to do.

What benefits do we lose by waiting? Will Girgensons become less of a leader if he's not named Captain for the next 2 seasons?

We should be focuses on the development of Girgensons.

There's no rush. We gain NOTHING by rushing this.

Letting the leadership in that lockerroom develop organically is a no brainer

 

[Zip15]

Girgensons isn't going to be Landeskog, but that's not what the captaincy is about.

I think Girgensons has the maturity (yes, maturity...I really don't know where the "immaturity" comments are coming from) and temperament that a guy like Landeskog has. Talent wise is a different question, but to suggest that he shouldn't get it because he's too young, or somebody else might come along...to me Landeskog proves both those arguments to be way overblown. That's what my comparison was really meant to get at. Though I do think Girgensons has a higher offensive ceiling than many in this thread, I'm not expecting him to produce as much as Landeskog will in their primes. But I really do think he will prove many wrong about his offensive capabilities. I do think he will be an all-situations guy, who will be out on the final shifts of a one-goal game.

To me, it is really this simple: if you think he should be the captain of this team, then give it to him now and let him grow with that role. Delaying it doesn't make much sense to me given that I don't see Girgensons as the type of player who would crumble under that pressure--I think he would actually excel given that responsibility. Saving it for someone who may or may not even be on the team doesn't make much sense to me either--if you've got a guy who is deserving now, then act on it.

Anyways, that's just my opinion, which counts for pretty much nothing. We'll see what Nolan wants to do.

I think the converse position is equally simple: what is the downside of waiting a few years? Do you think that it will somehow hinder Girgensons' development? Over the next 14 months we're going to be drafting at least two players--and maybe three players-- in draft slots normally occupied by guys who become incredibly important to their respective teams. What's the rush? Get all those guys in here and let the leader emerge. If it's Girgensons, fine. If it's Reinhart or Bennett, great. If it's McDavid/Eichel, fantastic. But we don't have to decide right now.

 

[Jim Bob]

I am down with slow cooking.

Whether it's stuff like sending the #2 pick to Jr or waiting to give ZG the C.

There is no reason to rush the kids.

Give the C to Stafford. Give the C to Weber. Give the C to a UFA that you sign to a one or two year deal, like say Brian Gionta.

I just wouldn't give it to Ehrhoff or Myers unless they see that guy being the captain for the foreseeable future.

 

[Jame]

I am down with slow cooking.

Whether it's stuff like sending the #2 pick to Jr or waiting to give ZG the C.

There is no reason to rush the kids.

Give the C to Stafford. Give the C to Weber. Give the C to a UFA that you sign to a one or two year deal, like say Brian Gionta.

I just wouldn't give it to Ehrhoff or Myers unless they see that guy being the captain for the foreseeable future.

agreed. and it's what they should've done last year... find a 2-3 year stop gap captain who can lead by example through the rebuild... instead of the idiocy of naming not 1, but 2 pending UFAs to the job or the almost as stupid naming of a young player before it is necessary.

 

[Jim Bob]

agreed. and it's what they should've done last year... find a 2-3 year stop gap captain who can lead by example through the rebuild... instead of the idiocy of naming not 1, but 2 pending UFAs to the job or the almost as stupid naming of a young player before it is necessary.

I think forcing it on a kid is waaaaaaaaaaay dumber than giving it to a pending UFA or two.

For instance, I wouldn't have a problem with Stafford getting it even though he's probably gone by the deadline.

 

[DazedandConfused]

I think forcing it on a kid is waaaaaaaaaaay dumber than giving it to a pending UFA or two.

For instance, I wouldn't have a problem with Stafford getting it even though he's probably gone by the deadline.

IMO, in our position, if you think that a players going to be traded before seasons end then don't name him the captain. Just have 3 A's as the "leadership and veteran presence players".

 

[cramdizzl]

homer (pretty decent chance) to realist (i dont expect it to happen) = recognizing the folly of the original statement

Sure, lets bring it down to semantics. Saying that something has a chance of occurring is not equating it to my expectation. I said he has a decent chance because we have no idea how high his ceiling is. He's quickly come in and become a difference maker and surpassed expectations, so why should he not continue to surpass them? For me, he fit the mold of a 40pt shutdown guy, but after seeing him flash his offensive potential this season, its not ridiculous to think that he could go beyond that.

 

[Hrothgar]

I'm not sure if someone has mentioned it yet or not, but when I went to kris baker's site his twitter showed that Jim Leitner was reporting Girgensons got an "A" for his jersey next season. Seems like a nice bridge without too much pressure.

 

[Havok89]

I'm not sure if someone has mentioned it yet or not, but when I went to kris baker's site his twitter showed that Jim Leitner was reporting Girgensons got an "A" for his jersey next season. Seems like a nice bridge without too much pressure.

I like it. Girgensons is a born leader and is a key player moving forward.

Ultimately, If we were so lucky to draft Eichel or McDavid, they will eventually get the C. Too much talent to not consider it their team. That's why I think someone like Ehrhoff or Stafford will get it as a placeholder. Girgensons is too young right now.

 

[LaxSabre]

Retweeted by Kris Baker (@SabresProspects) - USHL ‏@USHL - Courtesy of Jim Leitner of @THsportsfeed: @Fighting_Saints alum @zemgus94 earns "A" for @BuffaloSabres #USHLAlumni - http://web.ushl.com/news.php?action=detail&news_id=2455

Latvian Locomotive Gaining Steam In NHL - By Jim Leitner - Dubuque Telegraph Herald - Monday, April 28.

Zemgus Girgensons spent two seasons in the USHL with the Dubuque Fighting Saints before being selected in the first round of the 2012 NHL Draft. Zemgus Girgensons - USHL Profile Page - http://ushl2011.stats.pointstreak.com/playerpage.html?playerid=4248942&seasonid=7561&numgames=all

Not long after USHL career, Girgensons earns "A" for effort in NHL.

Zemgus Girgensons knows a good hockey prank when he sees one, so he became a little leery shortly after entering the Buffalo Sabres' dressing room on the final day of the regular season. But the "A" sewn on the chest of his jersey was no joke. The 20-year-old rookie forward earned the right to serve as Buffalo's alternate captain that afternoon because of the tenacity he showed during one of the worst seasons in franchise history.

"When I walked into the locker room, a couple of the guys asked me if my chest feels a little heavier today, and I had no idea what they were talking about," said Girgensons. "The coaches rotate the alternate captains, and they usually don't tell you before, so I found out when I saw my jersey. I still kind of thought someone was playing a joke on me. But, when it sunk in, it was a pretty exciting moment for me. I felt excited, honored, nervous...all sorts of emotions."

He shouldn't have been surprised. "He earned it," Sabres center Tyler Ennis said. "He plays so hard every night. He's a good example of what everyone should play like."

Ted Nolan, who coached Girgensons in Buffalo and with the Latvian national team at the Sochi Olympics, considered the power forward a natural selection for the honor. He wished more players would have followed the example Girgensons set during a season in which the Sabres finished an NHL-worst 21-51-10.

"One thing with Girgensons, he plays the game right," Nolan said after Girgensons scored twice in a 4-2 loss to playoff-bound Detroit on April 8. "If there's one thing our team can learn, is just watch the way he plays all the time. Whether he scores two goals or not, he's by far our best player on the ice. And why? Because he plays the game right. He works both ends of the ice. He competes. He plays with some passion and all those things that good players do. He was great tonight."

http://web.ushl.com/news.php?action=detail&news_id=2455

 

[Hrothgar]

I'm not really sure whether that A was permanent. Anyone know for sure?

 

[LaxSabre]

I'm not sure if someone has mentioned it yet or not, but when I went to Kris Baker's twitter - it showed that Jim Leitner was reporting Girgensons got an "A" for his jersey next season. Seems like a nice bridge without too much pressure.

The article - which I posted some/link to in the last post - mentioned Girgensons great play this season for the Sabres and Latvia which he was rewarded with by having a "A" on his jersey for the final regular season game vs the Islanders. Nothing in the article states that Girgensons will have a "A" next season. (Although I wouldn't be surprised if he does get a "A" though.) They don't make the decisions on who gets the "C" and the two "A" until sometime during or after training camp.

 

[haseoke39]

I'm not really sure whether that A was permanent. Anyone know for sure?

I don't think it's been determined. You probably won't see the A's or the C set for next season until the end of next training camp. By then, the roster could have changed substantially, so it's no good guessing.

I think the only thing that matters is that Nolan sees him as a leader in the long term. If he starts out the year without an A, it doesn't mean anything about how he's valued by the organization.

 

[DazedandConfused]

I'd put money on Girgensons starting the year with an A.

Barring any veteran off-season acquisition I don't think they enter the 14-15 season with a capitano.

 

[Paxon]

I'd put money on Girgensons starting the year with an A.

Barring any veteran off-season acquisition I don't think they enter the 14-15 season with a capitano.

They might just slap it on Myers under that scenario. In my mind Zemgus is almost guaranteed to have an A next year. I think C is fairly unlikely.

 

[DazedandConfused]

They might just slap it on Myers under that scenario. In my mind Zemgus is almost guaranteed to have an A next year. I think C is fairly unlikely.

Your referring to slapping the C on Myers, correct?

I'd hope Murray and Nolan and co would look at the bigger picture, however it wouldn't be a terrible move, I just don't think it's the best move.

 

[haseoke39]

I really don't see the profit in giving someone a C in a year when you know you're in transition and likely to see some very big players added the mere season after. It becomes a political problem at that point. If McDavid is in Buffalo and putting up 100 points while being a great teammate and showcasing great work ethic, do you rip it off of Zemgus' jersey?

Just ride out the bad times until somebody takes the team and leads it out of the basement. I'd far rather be able to see all the options emerge and know something about who the team responds to before I give it to someone just because they were here first.

 

[Paxon]

Your referring to slapping the C on Myers, correct?

I'd hope Murray and Nolan and co would look at the bigger picture, however it wouldn't be a terrible move, I just don't think it's the best move.

Yeah. I was saying in the cenario where they don't add any vets, maybe they just don't have a captain, but I could also see them slapping the C on Myers. Stafford is the obvious choice if they want to go the dead man walking route like they did last season.

 

[Djp]

Your referring to slapping the C on Myers, correct?

I'd hope Murray and Nolan and co would look at the bigger picture, however it wouldn't be a terrible move, I just don't think it's the best move.

Isnt the person we slap the C on the one we want to trade? Doesn't C stand for "clearance prices"

 

[DazedandConfused]

I really don't see the profit in giving someone a C in a year when you know you're in transition and likely to see some very big players added the mere season after. It becomes a political problem at that point. If McDavid is in Buffalo and putting up 100 points while being a great teammate and showcasing great work ethic, do you rip it off of Zemgus' jersey?

Just ride out the bad times until somebody takes the team and leads it out of the basement. I'd far rather be able to see all the options emerge and know something about who the team responds to before I give it to someone just because they were here first.

Bingo, Bango, Bongo.

At this point in time the next C would ideally be the C for the next decade or more. This doesn't need to be rushed, let the damn letter carry some sort of respect with it.

 

[DazedandConfused]

Isnt the person we slap the C on the one we want to trade? Doesn't C stand for "clearance prices"

In phase I it did. Were moving onto phase II now though

 

[ZZamboni]

I would love if Girgensons turned out like Dustin Brown or Ryan Callahan. 35-45 pt. grinder/leader that contributes on the scoreboard modestly.

 

[Dubi Doo]

Nah. Too young, imo