In a recent conversation about the Toronto Maple Leafs, Gord Stellick joined the Real Kyper and Bourne Show to discuss the Maple Leafs’ captaincy. In the video below, there is a conversation about why Auston Matthews being captain over John Tavares could benefit the team. Although several topics were discussed, the discussion focused on the captaincy and team leadership.
Here’s a breakdown of the key points and arguments:
The Inevitability of the Captaincy Conversation
Nick Kypreos’ question to Stellick focused on the inevitable conversation around captaincy. Should the team address the captaincy question sooner or let Tavares continue as captain for another year before potentially transitioning to Matthews? Stellick believed that he would allow the situation to continue as it was for the next season until Tavares’ contract expired.
He preferred to let Tavares keep the captaincy for another year, considering his professionalism and the significant year ahead with his contract ending. He reasoned that there’s much respect for Tavares in the dressing room. He’s seen as a quality leader and a consummate professional who does the little things well, even if he doesn’t have a dynamic personality. While he didn’t know the answer, removing Tavares as captain could cause unnecessary upheaval within the team dynamics.
The Case for Giving the Captaincy to Auston Matthews
When Stellick asked Kypreos what he would prefer, Kypreos advocated for Matthews to become the captain now. He believed he would instill greater ownership and responsibility if Matthews were the captain. It’s not about taking away from Tavares but challenging Matthews to step up as the team’s leader.
In his opinion, transitioning the captaincy to Matthews could be beneficial. It could signify that the team is built around him and encourage him to take a more active role, particularly in staying connected with the team during the offseason. He believed it might be that Matthews would stick around Toronto more of the offseason and become a more vital part of the community – rather than disappear to Arizona for several months of the year.
2 Additional Parts of the Conversation
During the video, there were two additional parts of the conversation. First, Kypreos and Stellick discussed how Maple Leaf’s players have historically shown up to carry expanded leadership roles and positions within the team. Second, they talked about why the team might want to change how it focuses during the regular season. They could become more playoff-ready and focused as the season ends rather than concentrating on individual statistics and chasing personal records.
Topic 1: Historical Context and Leadership Styles
Briefly, Stellick discussed how the rank-and-file leadership of the Maple Leafs team could be enhanced during the postseason by encouraging current players to exhibit stronger playoff performances. As shown in the past, there have been Maple Leafs players and leaders like Gary Roberts and Darcy Tucker. They always carried a heavier load during the postseason.
Topic 2: The Impact of Regular Season Games on Playoff Readiness
Second, Stellick highlighted the unusual emphasis on individual accomplishments at the end of the last regular season. Specifically, he spoke about the strange last game, in which Matthews’ 70-goal milestone or Nikita Kucherov’s point total were the only things worth watching during a regular season game against Tampa Bay.
He stressed the importance of redirecting focus towards team preparedness for the playoffs, prioritizing overall readiness over individual accolades.
The Conversation’s Conclusion: To Transition or Not?
Although Kypreos and Stellick did not start on the same side of the answer to the question, by the end of the conversation, it seemed they more or less became unified in what they believed. In short, they tend to land on the decision that, while Tavares is a respected leader, transitioning the captaincy to Matthews could be a strategic move further to solidify his role as the face of the franchise. This transition, however, should be handled with care to maintain team harmony and ensure both players understand and accept the decision.
The conversation about the Maple Leafs’ captaincy is ongoing. Strong arguments exist for both retaining Tavares and transitioning to Matthews. The decision will ultimately depend on the team’s long-term vision and the dynamics within the dressing room.
