Amidst all the chaos of the opening of free agency Monday, more buzz was churned in the rumor mill centered around the Toronto Maple Leafs' leadership dynamic and a possible change in captaincy.
On Monday’s Real Kyper And Bourne host Nick Kypreos turned some heads when he suggested that the Leafs are seriously considering a change in captaincy, potentially moving the 'C' from John Tavares to Auston Matthews.
"From what I’m hearing, the Leafs are contemplating taking the captaincy away from him (Tavares) and giving it to Auston. They will talk about it. I’m not saying it’s going to happen, but it’s real,” said Kypreos.
Tavares was named the 25th captain in Leafs history in October of 2019. The decision to make the hometown talent the captain filled a position that had been vacant for over three and a half years since the departure of Dion Phaneuf in a trade with the Ottawa Senators in 2016.
And that wasn’t the only reason.
Tavares captained the New York Islanders for five seasons, for whom he played nine seasons with before moving to Toronto. The 33-year-old is well-respected by his peers and carries himself with an immense amount of professionalism. Combined with his experience playing for two teams in the NHL, he’s been a captain in this league for 10 seasons – it certainly shouldn’t be a question why he has been attributed to his position for this duration of time.
As it stands currently, there is plenty of uncertainty regarding his future with the organization, potentially leading to speculation that the team might benefit from a new voice at the helm. Tavares is entering the final year of a seven-year, $77 million contract with a full no-movement clause and it’s unclear which direction the organization will steer next.
He became eligible to sign an extension on July 1, and after the club’s opening-round series loss to the Boston Bruins, Tavares addressed the idea of an extension when saying, “I haven't put much thought to it, but I mean, I love playing here. I think it's a remarkable place to play. And, you know, when I committed here six years ago, you know, obviously I saw a tremendous amount of talent and an amazing hockey market and organization that's fully committed to winning.”
General manager Brad Treliving was asked about any progress towards an extension for the forward after day one of free agency and was not keen on giving any insight towards the situation.
“I'm not going to get into any contract, you know, discussions that we may or may not be having, you know, those, those would be taken,” said Treliving. “We do our business behind closed doors and John's preparing, had a good visit with John over the last little bit. Once he got back from the world championships and again, he's been around the facility, but you know, our focus right now really has been the draft has been through free agency.”
The future is ambiguous with no clear direction taking shape as the situation stands for Tavares in Toronto. On the other hand, what has become transparent is that Matthews is the cornerstone and face of this franchise. His on-ice performance, marked by scoring titles, accolades, and MVP-caliber play, has made him a favorite among fans and a respected figure in the league. Matthews' maturity and growing leadership qualities have not gone unnoticed, and some believe that handing him the captaincy could inject new direction into the club amidst winning just one playoff series since his arrival in 2016.
With the core of the team in their prime and expectations higher than ever, every decision is magnified. While Tavares has been a model captain, the argument for Matthews centers around his ability to lead by example through his dominant play. The Leafs' management might view this move as a way to align the team's leadership with its ultimate direction given Matthews represents the future of the franchise, and his promotion to captain could symbolize a commitment to a new era.
However, just because a player may be the best on their respective team, that doesn't guarantee you deserve to be captain. But as the Leafs continue their quest for playoff success, there is talk that the team might benefit from a change in leadership.
