Toronto Maple Leafs reportedly leaning towards John Tavares as next captain

It appears the rumours surrounding the Toronto Maple Leafs captaincy has taken a new turn, with reports suggesting the team is leaning towards John Tavares.

John Tavares has been linked with the Toronto Maple Leafs captaincy since his earliest days with the organisation, often in the same conversation as Auston Matthews and Morgan Rielly.

Up until recently, it appeared as if the Leafs organization had finally settled on naming a captain this season and Matthews was the one that many fans had theorized would be the man given the honour.

But hugely respected NHL insider Elliotte Friedman appears to think quite differently and has even suggested that the team, while considering Matthews as a candidate, is set on naming Tavares as the successor to Dion Phaneuf who last wore the “C”.

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Speaking to WGR 550 (via MLHS), Friedman stated his belief that the organization made the decision to give Tavares the coveted “C” even before the recent revelation regarding Matthews was discovered.

The situation surrounding Matthews will undoubtedly cause a reaction from all corners of the fanbase, regardless of which player is eventually announced as the captain.

Many will feel that the decision to give Tavares the captaincy will be a reactionary decision, but if Friedman, along with a number of others involved in hockey media, believes the team had already made that decision, then there isn’t any reason to truly question it.

Head coach Mike Babcock also made this comment suggesting the team has a plan for when they want to make the announcement and that nothing new has changed their thought process.

Tavares is a model professional, had the best season of his entire career during his first with his childhood team and has already had the distinction of leading an NHL organization, donning the ‘C’ for the New York Islanders for five seasons.

He is a quiet, but a clear leader within the organization and does all of his talking on the ice, where he is still one of the best players in the entire league. He is 29 years old entering this season and has plenty of experience under his belt and has already worn the ‘A’ for the Leafs, despite only arriving last summer.

Being named the captain of the Leafs has only happened 18 times before and Tavares is a logical choice for the honour, even with Matthews being the clear long-term future of the team and arguably the best player on the team – though he has never had the responsibility of a letter previously.

Rielly has also shown plenty of reasons why he would be a solid choice for the captaincy and the decision will have taken a long time to make. If Tavares gets the honour, he will do a great job and the fans should support the decision of the organization if this is the route they take.

What do you think Leafs fans? Would you be pleased with Tavares getting the ‘C’? Do you think he is the guy, or would you prefer to see Rielly or Matthews getting it? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!