Your vote for captain

[Da McBomb]

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/...e-edmonton-oilers-live-house-peter-chiarelli/

"When it does come time for a member of the young Oilers core — McDavid, Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Jordan Eberle — to take over the captaincy, Ference knows whom he would select."

I'm curious who Ference thinks should be captain.

 

[LTIR]

Biggest reason why is his on ice ability and ability to actually make a game changing play. He has taken this team on his back many of times. If people want change what good is going from Ference to RNH if RNH doesn't do this yet? If they are going to do a change it has to be to someone that goes out there and has game changing ability.

If we are going by ability then why wouldnt McDavid get the C ? He could be as productive as Hall as early as next season with potential to be much better.
Also, RNH showed the ability to lead this team last year and seems to have a much better head on his shoulders. Giving Hall the C ahead of McDavid would be like giving Messier the C with Gretz on the team.

I voted Ference so McDavid gets his feet wet before getting the C .. If Hall gets the C, McDavid will have to wait til Hall's contract expires in 2020 or he gets traded.

 

[GretzkytoKurri9917]

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/...e-edmonton-oilers-live-house-peter-chiarelli/

"When it does come time for a member of the young Oilers core — McDavid, Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Jordan Eberle — to take over the captaincy, Ference knows whom he would select."

I'm curious who Ference thinks should be captain.

I'm going with Connor McDavid.

 

[joestevens29]

If we are going by ability then why wouldnt McDavid get the C ? He could be as productive as Hall as early as next season with potential to be much better.
Also, RNH showed the ability to lead this team last year and seems to have a much better head on his shoulders. Giving Hall the C ahead of McDavid would be like giving Messier the C with Gretz on the team.

I voted Ference so McDavid gets his feet wet before getting the C .. If Hall gets the C, McDavid will have to wait til Hall's contract expires in 2020 or he gets traded.

What has McDavid done at the NHL level?

Although I voted other. There is no point in making any change other than maybe going with 3 A's, but I doubt they do that anyway.

 

[Dorian2]

Don't know if this has been posted.

If it has, please ignore:

Ference on Chiarelli.

http://oilers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=777605&navid=DL|EDM|home

 

[Quality Oil]

Leave it with Ference imo.

The kids still have yet to prove that they can play like professionals throughout an entire season. Being a captain means that they ideally need to be prepared to handle referees in a professional manner and take a bunch of heat from the media, fans and their own teammates at times.

I don't see anyone on the list with that kind of mental fortitude aside from Hendricks or Ference. Ference has been a whipping boy on an awful team for the better part of a few seasons now and hasn't made a stink about it like Moreau did.

Hall is the closest I think, let Hall and co. worry about polishing their game this season and mature another year while Ference or another vet lead in the dressing room and on the bench. Move the Captaincy as soon as next season over to one of the kids.

 

[fancy dan]

ference is talking about nuge.

 

[Magnum23]

Leave it with ference for now. Let Mcdavid take over in a few years. Even though RNH and Hall may be more deserving at that time with more seniority and expericence. It's very rare to see generational guys like Gretzky, Lemieux, Crosby and Mcdavid not be Captain for most of their careers!

 

[Payne]

I voted RNH but it makes the most sense to leave it on Ference right now, at least until the next captain becomes apparent.

As important as captain is, one of the most important aspects is one that actually makes a difference on the ice and that's how they interact with the refs. Obviously performance helps and their relationships with teammates and coaches is integral, not to mention how well they represent the franchise, but being able to communicate with officials leads to points. RNH seems to have that. Maybe Ference is good in this regard but who knows as he's more often than not on the bench.

Whenever I watch Detroit play I always notice how the refs talk with the captain during stoppages. From Zetterberg and Lidstrom to Yzerman, the refs always seemed to take the time to talk to them when they had a minute. Is it a coincidence that Detroit has been one of the least penalized teams over this same period? Maybe. Maybe not. I'm not saying this doesn't happen with other teams and other captains but I notice it consistently with the Wings. I always felt that was one of the small factors in their recipe for success.

 

[McGoMcD]

ference is talking about nuge.

I 100% think he is talking about Nuge. I think he will be the next Captain. poeple are obsessed with McDavid, but he is too young. It would be a shot at Nuge and Hall if you gave it to him. Any way, Ference should pass it off this year. Next year Ference knows he will be a bench player. McD will still be too young.

 

[McGoMcD]

Leave it with ference for now. Let Mcdavid take over in a few years. Even though RNH and Hall may be more deserving at that time with more seniority and expericence. It's very rare to see generational guys like Gretzky, Lemieux, Crosby and Mcdavid not be Captain for most of their careers!

True, but McD is in a differnt situation in that he is the really young guy joining some older players. that wasn't the case for any of those players. Nuge, Hall, are top NHL players and are older. The thing is does any one really think McD cares that much? Does he look like a guy that cares. Doubt it. Nuge makes more sense now and will make more sense when Ference gives it up.

 

[nexttothemoon]

True, but McD is in a differnt situation in that he is the really young guy joining some older players. that wasn't the case for any of those players. Nuge, Hall, are top NHL players and are older. The thing is does any one really think McD cares that much? Does he look like a guy that cares. Doubt it. Nuge makes more sense now and will make more sense when Ference gives it up.

Kind of odd to say that McD may not care much... for all we know he may be the most passionate, intense and highly motivated player on the team to want his team to work together and win and reach the highest levels of success. He's very likely a very driven individual to get where he has gotten so far and I think it's far too early to tag him as a guy that doesn't care much.

He already knows he's going to be a multimillionaire in the sport... but these highly talented players don't just stop caring once they get their windfall paychecks... they want to continue to improve and exceed even their own high expectations of themselves.

 

[McGoMcD]

Kind of odd to say that McD may not care much... for all we know he may be the most passionate, intense and highly motivated player on the team to want his team to work together and win and reach the highest levels of success. He's very likely a very driven individual to get where he has gotten so far and I think it's far too early to tag him as a guy that doesn't care much.

He already knows he's going to be a multimillionaire in the sport... but these highly talented players don't just stop caring once they get their windfall paychecks... they want to continue to improve and exceed even their own high expectations of themselves.

What? I said he doesn't care about being Captain, not that he doesn't care about hockey. Clearly he is very motivated.

 

[Spawn]

I 100% think he is talking about Nuge. I think he will be the next Captain. poeple are obsessed with McDavid, but he is too young. It would be a shot at Nuge and Hall if you gave it to him. Any way, Ference should pass it off this year. Next year Ference knows he will be a bench player. McD will still be too young.

You don't pick your next captain based on the fear you're going to upset a player or two in the locker room. If in a year or two McDavid is the on ice leader of this team he should be the captain. Ditto if it's Hall or RNH. I don't care about seniority. I doubt any of the players do either. I've never gotten the sense from interviews that any of these young players (McDavid included) have a big enough ego off the ice to be upset if someone else is given the captaincy.

After entire careers of being on the worst team in the league, these guys, all of them, just want to play on a good team. Genuinely I think that's all anyone who has been here for a while cares about now.

 

[Stud Muffin]

Ference can't be captain because he should be sitting in the press box all year

 

[Jeff Lebowski]

None of the kids have shown that they are captain material yet. If one of your teammates is getting roughed up and you skate away instead of getting in the scrum, then you're not captain material. Let Ference keep it. Hopefully one of the younger guys steps up by the time Ference retires or gets traded.

 

[McGoMcD]

You don't pick your next captain based on the fear you're going to upset a player or two in the locker room. If in a year or two McDavid is the on ice leader of this team he should be the captain. Ditto if it's Hall or RNH. I don't care about seniority. I doubt any of the players do either. I've never gotten the sense from interviews that any of these young players (McDavid included) have a big enough ego off the ice to be upset if someone else is given the captaincy.

After entire careers of being on the worst team in the league, these guys, all of them, just want to play on a good team. Genuinely I think that's all anyone who has been here for a while cares about now.

I agree. I just think both Hall and Nuge will be star players, not likely as good as McD, but I think most players will agree one of those (most likely Nuge) shoudl be Captian. I don't think Nuge or Hall will care either, I just think they will be the choice.

I hope the whole team doesn't care and just wants to win. I get that feeling, which is exiting.

 

[Worraps]

Ference can't be captain because he should be sitting in the press box all year

I doubt it, at least not for the whole year.

Ference isn't a top 4 d-man by any stretch of the imagination but unless Nikitin comes to camp a new man, chances are he'll play ahead of him. Then he just has to beat out Reinhart and Nurse who the organization probably prefer to have start in the minors.
I fully suspect either Nurse, or Reinhart, or both will push Ference/Nikitn/Gryba/Schultz out of the line at some point in the year but that shouldn't happen before Christmas.

 

[KCC]

Ference can't be captain because he should be sitting in the press box all year

He's not that bad, he just isn't a top 4 defenseman and the team had no choice but to play him because they had no one else. Expect that to change this upcoming season. I do feel he will bounce back with a lesser role. JMO.

Also, as people have mentioned already -- It's Nuge.

 

[Dorian2]

What? I said he doesn't care about being Captain, not that he doesn't care about hockey. Clearly he is very motivated.

Actually, you didn't say that. You may have thought it, but read your post again. I got the same impression as NTTM did re: your post.

But thanks for clarifying with this one.

 

[McGoMcD]

Actually, you didn't say that. You may have thought it, but read your post again. I got the same impression as NTTM did re: your post.

But thanks for clarifying with this one.

Ya, but the topic of the thread is captaincy. So I think you read that as he doesn't care about that?

Regardless...... its all good.

 

[Stud Muffin]

He's not that bad, he just isn't a top 4 defenseman and the team had no choice but to play him because they had no one else. Expect that to change this upcoming season. I do feel he will bounce back with a lesser role. JMO.

Also, as people have mentioned already -- It's Nuge.

He has the worst hockey iq of any player the oilers have employed. He hasn't put together a streak of to good games ever on the oilers.

 

[soothsayer]

I'm a fan of the democratic system, where players state their choice anonymously for Captains and Assistants. The players with most votes gets the C and A's.

 

[Samus44]

I've never understood how folks not in the dressing room could have an opinion on who ought to be captain. I sure as hell don't know these players and who is or isn't buying in.

 

[Dorian2]

Ya, but the topic of the thread is captaincy. So I think you read that as he doesn't care about that?

Regardless...... its all good.

I need more clarification than most other people. It's an odd personal trait of mine.