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Auston Matthews to be named captain

CarltonTheBear

CarltonTheBear

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https://twitter.com/DarrenDreger/status/1823131242553905294
https://twitter.com/reporterchris/status/1823132951674040664
 
I think this is good.  Whether Tavares comes back next year on a reduced contract or not, having your captain potentially leaving doesn't make sense.  Now is a good transition point to make Matthews captain.
 
https://mapleleafshotstove.com/2024/08/13/auston-matthews-the-26th-captain-in-maple-leafs-history/

Would be hilarious to re-distribute the letters:
C: Matthews
A: Tavares, Rielly, Tanev
 
Welp, I thought hockey talk would be at least a week to 10 days away as reporters all started coming back from vacation but the Leafs have just kick started the season in August
 
herman said:
https://mapleleafshotstove.com/2024/08/13/auston-matthews-the-26th-captain-in-maple-leafs-history/

Would be hilarious to re-distribute the letters:
C: Matthews
A: Tavares, Rielly, Tanev
Click to expand...

It certainly would reboot the Marner fiasco.
 
OldTimeHockey said:
herman said:
https://mapleleafshotstove.com/2024/08/13/auston-matthews-the-26th-captain-in-maple-leafs-history/

Would be hilarious to re-distribute the letters:
C: Matthews
A: Tavares, Rielly, Tanev
Click to expand...

It certainly would reboot the Marner fiasco.
Click to expand...

If we're strictly lettering the 'long-term' committed folks, then it'd be Nylander over Tavares, but even I think that would be crazy. So I think Tavares gets extended on short sweetheart deals (3x5M?) or a Nick Paul special after giving Matthews his time in the limelight to celebrate the captaincy, and to quell any murmurs of discontent.
 
herman said:
If we're strictly lettering the 'long-term' committed folks, then it'd be Nylander over Tavares, but even I think that would be crazy. So I think Tavares gets extended on short sweetheart deals (3x5M?) or a Nick Paul special after giving Matthews his time in the limelight to celebrate the captaincy, and to quell any murmurs of discontent.
Click to expand...

At the press conference Tavares needs to hand Matthews a jersey with the C on it. Matthews hands Tavares a contract that keeps JT here until he retires. They hug. Everyone cries.
 
CarltonTheBear said:
herman said:
If we're strictly lettering the 'long-term' committed folks, then it'd be Nylander over Tavares, but even I think that would be crazy. So I think Tavares gets extended on short sweetheart deals (3x5M?) or a Nick Paul special after giving Matthews his time in the limelight to celebrate the captaincy, and to quell any murmurs of discontent.
Click to expand...

At the press conference Tavares needs to hand Matthews a jersey with the C on it. Matthews hands Tavares a contract that keeps JT here until he retires. They hug. Everyone cries.
Click to expand...

They'll position it that Tavares was all for this move, but in reality I really doubt that's the truth.  I guess we'll see if he re-signs with the Leafs on a major discount or not.
 
Zee said:
They'll position it that Tavares was all for this move, but in reality I really doubt that's the truth.  I guess we'll see if he re-signs with the Leafs on a major discount or not.
Click to expand...

I dunno, I think barring them having won multiple Cups Tavares had to know that he was going to need to hand off the C to Matthews eventually if he wanted to spend the rest of his career as a Leaf. Like this was basically an inevitability the moment JT got the C instead of Matthews to begin with.
 
CarltonTheBear said:
Zee said:
They'll position it that Tavares was all for this move, but in reality I really doubt that's the truth.  I guess we'll see if he re-signs with the Leafs on a major discount or not.
Click to expand...

I dunno, I think barring them having won multiple Cups Tavares had to know that he was going to need to hand off the C to Matthews eventually if he wanted to spend the rest of his career as a Leaf. Like this was basically an inevitability the moment JT got the C instead of Matthews to begin with.
Click to expand...

Yup. Also, this doesn't change anything about Tavares' leadership in the room, just how much he interacts with the on-ice officials and his participation in some ceremonial stuff. It also allows him that little bit extra ability to focus on his play. He doesn't lose much and has potential to gain some.
 
CarltonTheBear said:
At the press conference Tavares needs to hand Matthews a jersey with the C on it. Matthews hands Tavares a contract that keeps JT here until he retires. They hug. Everyone cries.
Click to expand...

Guilt Trip said:
Do both tomorrow.
Click to expand...

As elegant and efficient as that might be, a) Johnston reports there is no imminent deal in place for Tavares b) I think Tavares is the kind of guy who would let Matthews have the spotlight for awhile, rather than make news. Tavares is expected to be there for the press conference.
 
https://mapleleafshotstove.com/2024/08/13/where-does-the-auston-matthews-captaincy-leave-john-tavares-entering-a-contract-year/
On the importance of a ?vocal? leader and whether it?s more about the leadership group than any one player:

You do need a leadership group, especially in Toronto. That is the reality of the market. There is a lot of pressure. There is a lot of tension.

I saw some ex-players who didn?t play for the Leafs take to Twitter last night and talk about captaincies when they were in the league, but you can?t really compare a mid-market American city with one or two reporters covering the team full-time to Toronto. This captaincy news is the next morning 9 a.m. news in the middle of August when other sports are happening.

The attention is a little bit different, and you do need a committee. The only time they have remotely had success this millennium was during the Pat Quinn era; Quinn was collecting captains at one point. Look at those teams, how many ex-captains were on it, and how many guys had won Cups.

To the Leafs' credit, you hear about Chris Tanev across the league as a well-respected teammate and leader. He is going to come in and offer something. Oliver Ekman-Larsson was a captain in the NHL for a long time. He just came off of winning a Stanley Cup. You can see them trying to do some of those things in terms of who they are targeting. Those are also two players they would be very familiar with, given Brad Treliving had them on his teams in the past.
Click to expand...
 
Good.  Tavares was too quiet in that role.  Between Berube and this there will be more juice and a more obvious level of demand.  Just what this group needs.
 
Zee said:
CarltonTheBear said:
herman said:
If we're strictly lettering the 'long-term' committed folks, then it'd be Nylander over Tavares, but even I think that would be crazy. So I think Tavares gets extended on short sweetheart deals (3x5M?) or a Nick Paul special after giving Matthews his time in the limelight to celebrate the captaincy, and to quell any murmurs of discontent.
Click to expand...

At the press conference Tavares needs to hand Matthews a jersey with the C on it. Matthews hands Tavares a contract that keeps JT here until he retires. They hug. Everyone cries.
Click to expand...

They'll position it that Tavares was all for this move, but in reality I really doubt that's the truth.  I guess we'll see if he re-signs with the Leafs on a major discount or not.
Click to expand...

I don't think Tavares would be that upset by the move. His role is declining quickly. He can continue to be a leader in the room and on the ice. I can't see him being too butthurt over it.
 
https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/the-maple-leafs-had-designs-on-making-auston-matthews-the-captain-in-2019-how-an-off-ice-incident-in-scottsdale-reportedly-delayed-his-captaincy-until-2024

I couldn't reach the original article due to a server error, so I'm going to have to rely on the aggregators.
According to the Toronto Sun?s Lance Hornby, the Leafs initially planned to name Matthews captain in 2019, just as he was emerging as the team?s undisputed star. However, those plans were abruptly shelved following an off-ice incident that cast a shadow over the young center?s reputation at the time.
Click to expand...

I am pretty sure we all thought that was the case back then, right?

I distinctly remember there was a tweet video of Carlton the Bear piloting a boat with a jersey tucked at his feet with hints of some additional lettering on a Matthews jersey. And this would explain why the Tavares captaincy unveiling was such an intimate affair in some MLSE office.
https://x.com/MapleLeafs/status/1179534644108234881

Haha, listening to Dubas' words again with this lens...
 
Didn't someone point out that Tavares was more snakebitten last season than declining? Tavares is still awesome and I am not sure why everyone seems to think so little of him now. I bet he bounces back this year. Without Tavares, this team is in big trouble at C. He's as important as ever to this team's success.
 
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