Unless you’ve been out actually enjoying your summer and ignoring hockey, you’ve probably noticed that the Toronto Maple Leafs have named Auston Matthews as their 26th captain in franchise history. A lesser part of the announcement was that Brad Treliving confirmed that John Tavares would be wearing an ‘A’ for the Maple Leafs this season. Whether that will be part of a rotating system like the Maple Leafs have used previously with home and away responsibilities or whether it will be a full-time gig remains to be seen, but Tavares remains part of the picture. Arguably, the Leafs have the opportunity to embrace a truly strong leadership group and make the easy decision to confirm Morgan Rielly as the other full-time alternate captain.
The rotating system always gives off a bit of house league peewee hockey vibes to me. It’s fun to let everyone wear a letter and to some degree, it creates engagement across a larger section of the team but it dilutes the meaning of the role. While going with 2 permanent alternates rather than a rotation excludes players like Mitch Marner, William Nylander, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Chris Tanev who might all have something to offer in that role, it elevates Morgan Rielly in a manner he is deserving of. Outside of John Tavares and Auston Matthews there really is only one player who draws any consideration for the captaincy discussion, and it is Morgan Rielly, a player who has excelled in his role as a team spokesperson, in the community, leads by example on the ice, and elevates his game at the most important times of the year. His work ethic has been heralded by all, and as the longest tenured Leaf his commitment to the team stands out.
With Ekman-Larsson and Tanev being new to the Leafs, factoring them into leadership discussions is probably unnecessary. Ekman-Larsson is a former captain and having his voice in the room will carry a lot of weight, especially with the Leafs’ Swedish Mafia, but much like Tavares stepping down from the captaincy, less formal team responsibility might be the right situation for the defenceman heading into a year in a new environment. Tanev, a long-time alternate, will be in a similar situation. He’ll certainly be a lead-by-example guy, and he’ll undoubtedly show how much he cares and wants his teammates to care on every shift but doesn’t have the commitment to the market that Rielly has shown that particularly makes him stand out.
When it comes to current Leafs it may be a bit trickier. William Nylander has taken huge strides in recent years toward being a trusted voice in the locker room, especially among the European players. His ability to thrive and navigate the Toronto market with ease is something the Leafs should be looking to foster in others, but Nylander’s personality also seems to lend itself to being okay to not needing a letter on his jersey.
Mitch Marner’s situation is murkier. He’s been wearing an ‘A’ with regularity and does seem to be a source of pride for him. By all public accounts, Marner is great team guy, and his sincere connection to prospects like Easton Cowan as well as his welcoming attitude to all new Leafs is an example of what he can bring to the table. The composure issues during the playoffs and in the media do raise some questions but at a time when Marner’s contract is up, the Leafs need to consider if pushing Marner on his leadership position is truly something they want to do.
From an outsider’s perspective going away from the rotating ‘A’ approach and Marner losing that responsibility is worth it as a Matthews, Tavares, and Rielly group seems like a cut above the rest and defensible to anyone in the room. There is still plenty of opportunity through injury to bring in Marner as the next-in-line guy but much like Tavares taking a step back, it might be time for Marner to do the same, especially when he has been reluctant to show commitment to the team beyond the 2024-25 season.
By the end of the season, Morgan Rielly will likely be sitting at 9th in all-time games played in a Maple Leafs uniform. Assuming good health, Rielly could be at the top of the list by the time his contract ends. That’s pretty substantial when you consider those ahead of him include George Armstrong, Tim Horton, Borje Salming, Mats Sundin, Darryl Sittler, Dave Keon, etc. This is not so much about smiting others but elevating Rielly’s status, and that should be something that everyone can get behind.
