Speculation: Who should be our next captain? - Update: it's Staal

[My Special Purpose]

I said this in another thread, Slavin is modern day Glen Wesley right down to his beliefs. I think he’s the perfect ‘A’. Leads the blue line by example, lives in Raleigh year round building a family and working in the community both on behalf of the Canes and on his own. As a CT guy you and I both know how important that community involvement is to a small market.

I agree with this 100 percent. I'll even go you one better and say that a guy like Slavin is even more important here in the Bible Belt than Wesley was in Godless-Connecticut. But that doesn't change the point that he's a prototypical alternate captain.

I agree. Slavin is perfect for the A. I don't think he's a C.

Aho if he's ready, Martinook if he isn't.

And here's where it all breaks down. I think Staal and Aho are also perfect alternate captains. And Faulk. And Martinook. And Pesce and Teravainen.

 

[TheReelChuckFletcher]

Personally, I would go with Staal for the next 4 years, then Aho afterwards. Pass the torch after Staal's contract expires. Give Aho and Slavin the alternates.

 

[My Special Purpose]

But they've been grooming Aho. He's been sitting next to Williams the way that they put Eric next to Brindy. It's clear they've looked at him as a future captain.

And in what world did that work? Eric was never a great captain here. Guys are either leaders or they're not. You're not going to become a great leader by osmosis.

Personally, I would go with Staal for the next 4 years, then Aho afterwards. Pass the torch after Staal's contract expires. Give Aho and Slavin the alternates.

Bleech. Jordan is less of a captain than his brother was.

 

[Stickpucker]

Somehow the title reminds me of the time when the human body was first created and the various body parts had to decide who will be the leader.

... which in a way technically locks my answer.

Too much ambiguity good sir.

On one hand you have the brain....maybe an Aho type, the professor, on the other hand you have the other brain...BCBMginn, BCB.

I don't know you well enough to say which rules your body but I'm pretty sure I could speak for the average forumgoer.

 

[Stickpucker]

I said this in another thread, Slavin is modern day Glen Wesley right down to his beliefs. I think he’s the perfect ‘A’. Leads the blue line by example, lives in Raleigh year round building a family and working in the community both on behalf of the Canes and on his own. As a CT guy you and I both know how important that community involvement is to a small market.

Agreed he's the perfect A don't see him as a C.

C should make you a little scared to slack off for a shift but be kinda calm otherwise.

Scott Stevens, Chris Pronger, hell RBA....but with a coach like that does the captain need to be that way too?

Maybe that's why Willy worked so great a bit of a counter.

Brett Peaclee might sound like an odd suggestion but he seems like a goofball who gets shit done who would be a good compliment to RBA and could follow in Willy's footsteps

 

[Lempo]

Too much ambiguity good sir.

On one hand you have the brain....maybe an Aho type, the professor, on the other hand you have the other brain...BCBMginn, BCB.

I don't know you well enough to say which rules your body but I'm pretty sure I could speak for the average forumgoer.

It's a wellknown humorous story that one might already know, or google if he doesn't.

 

[cptjeff]

And in what world did that work? Eric was never a great captain here. Guys are either leaders or they're not. You're not going to become a great leader by osmosis.

I mean, it didn't work for Staal, but Aho is a leader already. And while leadership isn't taught, the day in and day out job of being the captain does have to be.

 

[bleedgreen]

I think the choices now are nearly as bad as they were a few years ago. The two most obvious choices are Aho and Slavin, normally two guys I wouldn’t pick to be captain. I really don’t like making a captain by default. Faulk for the moment has one foot out the door and doesn’t want it anyways. Staal never wanted it either. I think the coach would pick Staal if he would take it and they’re grooming Aho to follow him.

I would just rotate A’s, which worked fine before. Forcing a captain did not.

I said it before and someone else mentioned it, Pesce seems more of a captain than the guys we’re talking about.

 

[DaveG]

I mean if we HAVE to pick a captain now it's Martinook for me, otherwise I'm betting we roll with 4 As this season.

 

[Cane mutiny]

I think I would go with someone who probably leaves after this year or next. Someone that's a veteran choice, but still a placeholder. Faulk or Dougie? I don't know. It's gonna be hard, but we need a captain. None of this half and half crap that essentially means NO captain. Too bad, Willy was perfect.

 

[Navin R Slavin]

And in what world did that work? Eric was never a great captain here. Guys are either leaders or they're not. You're not going to become a great leader by osmosis.



Bleech. Jordan is less of a captain than his brother was.

I think you are *woefully* underrating Aho's abilities as a leader.

To your point: Aho looks, to me, like a born leader. A guy who, from the day he came on the ice, said "I want to win, follow me." That's what a captain is, and from my perspective, he's the only guy on the team who has it (excepting Williams, obviously).

 

[Navin R Slavin]

I mean, it didn't work for Staal, but Aho is a leader already. And while leadership isn't taught, the day in and day out job of being the captain does have to be.

Yes. Exactly this.

 

[robbieberns]

Am I think only one who remembers Aho in his rookie year sitting on the bench next to Staal and another vet, showing them set plays out of thin air? I’m having a hard point getting my point across, but that was honestly the moment I knew he was destined to captain this team.

 

[Navin R Slavin]

Am I think only one who remembers Aho in his rookie year sitting on the bench next to Staal and another vet, showing them set plays out of thin air? I’m having a hard point getting my point across, but that was honestly the moment I knew he was destined to captain this team.

Coach's kid, through and through.

 

[Surrounded By Ahos]

Bleech. Jordan is less of a captain than his brother was.

I’d even go far as saying he was half the captain his brother was.

Am I think only one who remembers Aho in his rookie year sitting on the bench next to Staal and another vet, showing them set plays out of thin air? I’m having a hard point getting my point across, but that was honestly the moment I knew he was destined to captain this team.

Not only this, they scored like three shifts later.

 

[MinJaBen]

Am I think only one who remembers Aho in his rookie year sitting on the bench next to Staal and another vet, showing them set plays out of thin air? I’m having a hard point getting my point across, but that was honestly the moment I knew he was destined to captain this team.

You are not the only one who remembers that interchange.

 

[Big Daddy Cane]

I know nothing about what these guys are like behind closed doors and what type of personality the rest of the locker room will respond the best to.

Whatever Brind'Amour and/or the locker room decides to do is the only answer.

 

[MinJaBen]

I know nothing about what these guys are like behind closed doors and what type of personality the rest of the locker room will respond the best to.

Whatever Brind'Amour and/or the locker room decides to do is the only answer.

 

[Lempo]

Am I think only one who remembers Aho in his rookie year sitting on the bench next to Staal and another vet, showing them set plays out of thin air? I’m having a hard point getting my point across, but that was honestly the moment I knew he was destined to captain this team.

 

[garnetpalmetto]

I vote no captain. Roll with four alternates - Faulk and Staal are "permanent" alternates, and then the third A is split between Aho and Slavin.

 

[SlavinAway]

Love it!

Also enjoyed the comments in that thread trying to decide if Aho, Hanifin, or Skinner would be the next C after Staal.

 

[Lempo]

I vote no captain. Roll with four alternates - Faulk and Staal are "permanent" alternates, and then the third A is split between Aho and Slavin.

Of course, the old two and a half A's trick!

 

[NotOpie]

I think it's Aho. He seems like he's got that edge that maybe Staal and Slavin might not have. Although, there's no way for any of us to really know.

Watching these guys, the only two guys that I think have the actual "captain" leadership qualities are Aho and Slavin....maybe Pesce, but that's never been obvious. As has been said, I think Slavin is the perfect "A". In the end, you want a captain who hates to lose almost more than he loves to win....that's Sebastian Aho to a "t".

Still, for this organization, the most important factor is who can channel Roddy the best. That's one of the things that Williams did super effectively.

I think you could say the same about Faulk and Staal, and I think the co-captaincy was a leadership void as a result. Those guys are good as As. They make the new guys feel welcome, they can help put out fires in the locker room, but they're never going to rally a room the way that Williams or Brind'Amour did. Staal and Slavin are the world's most perfect As. Faulk is good in that role too, and has tenure on Slavin.

But they've been grooming Aho. He's been sitting next to Williams the way that they put Eric next to Brindy. It's clear they've looked at him as a future captain, and while it might be too soon, he's stepped up to the plate every time we've given him more responsibility. He's not a rah rah vocal guy like Williams, but he's always actively talking to everybody and coaching the same way Brindy did. And he has that angry drive where he really, really hates to lose. Might as well give him the C, if Williams comes back he cedes it back to Williams. But I think it's clear that the team expects Aho to take that leadership role eventually, so it may not be the moment you planned, but here's the moment you get.

Nope, nope, and double nope....The Justin Williams that has the fire in his heart and the desire in his belly to come back for a full season and force these guys into winners is the captain you want. The Justin Williams who is the Hamlet who can't find that same desire almost certainly wouldn't want the captaincy.

 

[My Special Purpose]

For reference, when Fisher retired at the end of the 2017 season, Nashville gave the captaincy to Roman Josi. When Fisher came back, he didn't get a letter. The difference here, of course, is that Fisher actually retired (although there was a lot of shock at the time and a great deal of speculation he may have jumped the gun).



Also, Fisher managed just 2g, 2a in 16gp in 2018, and a measly single goal in 12 playoff games at age 37, so either way, we should probably temper expectations.

 

[Lempo]

Hell, even the very young Will Nylander took his time last season to get the rust off himself after holding out.

The plan for such a return is not very optimal.