With the trading of Gagne, , we have three of the 4 alternates from last year. ( Kimmo Pronger and Carter) If we have two for home and two for away games who should get the last "A"?
My vote goes to Lappy. The guy does everything for the team. He blocks shots hits fights for his team and is a beat defensively. Plus he wore an A in Colorado in his stint there.
I think they give Pronger the "A" full time and have Kimmo and Carter split home and away ga,es like last year. No change really. I think Pronger showed he is the veteran voice of this team in the playoffs last year and if Richards went down there's no doubt in my mind who would wear the "C".
Agreed. Carter doesn't really need to be an alternate. I'd rather him concentrate on playing his game. He seems to be a guy that doesn't need to have a big voice in the locker room to be effective. Just do you Jeff, just do you. At this point, I'd put Briere above Carter on the pecking order for leadership. I mean Briere was an alternate and part time full captain in Buffalo as well.
Jeff Carter has to bring more than potential to be a captain.
Averaging 40 goals over the last 2 seasons while being 23-25 years old seems like more than potential to me.
I do agree that Timonen is more suited for the "A" but they clearly wanted this to be Richards's teams with Carter riding shotgun and Gagne as the veteran presence when they drafted the two of them so it's no surprise they are paving the way already.
Averaging 40 goals over the last 2 seasons while being 23-25 years old seems like more than potential to me.
I do agree that Timonen is more suited for the "A" but they clearly wanted this to be Richards's teams with Carter riding shotgun and Gagne as the veteran presence when they drafted the two of them so it's no surprise they are paving the way already.
Saying he brought merely "potential" was clearly an exaggeration, but, while no doubt talented, he doesn't strike me as a leader.
Saying he brought merely "potential" was clearly an exaggeration, but, while no doubt talented, he doesn't strike me as a leader.
Yeah, I agree but who knows what goes on in the room. Some guys are leaders just by being them and a guy thats going to be around 40 goals a year for the next 7-10 years falls in that category. Gagne never struck me as a vocal type leader either but he wore the "A" for a long time and lead by example. I like when a team has guys who have the letter of their chest for a long time, it creates an identity for a team.
C: Richards (obviously)
A: Pronger
A: Timmonen or Lappy
I don't like the rotating captains thing that the team did last year (maybe before that too, can't remember). I think Richards and Pronger pretty much own the C and one A until they leave the team. The other A probably has to go to Timmonen but I wouldn't mind having Lappy wear the A. Nothing against Carter, but I think Timmonen or Lappy are better leaders.
With the trading of Gagne, , we have three of the 4 alternates from last year. ( Kimmo Pronger and Carter) If we have two for home and two for away games who should get the last "A"?
My vote goes to Lappy. The guy does everything for the team. He blocks shots hits fights for his team and is a beat defensively. Plus he wore an A in Colorado in his stint there.
HM: Sean O'Donnell
Without reading the previous posts I think that if they go on a home and away rotation they should return the 'A' to Briere who lost it when Pronger came in... Danny was a Co-Captain with Drury in Buffalo and did step up in the big games last season as well as the others when he was not injured.
That said, a strong case could be made for Lappy... that's for sure.
This. No reason to rotate, just because you don't have a letter doesn't mean you're not a leader.
Exactly correct.
There is the Leadership Group that functions off the ice and hopefully coordinates their moves leading the team... The way I see it the letters are basically to be go betweens with the officials on the ice and recognition. On the bench and in the Room as well as practice, I believe the Leadership Group work as leaders whether they are the ones with the letters or not... I do think that the letter wearers would have a higher status in the LG pecking order though... But in the case of Home and Away rotations with five lettered leaders, I find it hard to believe that each one has more pull than any other in the LG outside the Captain or Pronger.
In the end, IMO, leaders will rise to the surface with or without a letter... I would think that Pronger holds back the reins for respect, but he has to be considered a leader regardless of what is on his chest beside the crest.
I always believed that Knuble had to have been a leader even though he rarely wore a letter... Leaders come from the players more than from management... IMO.
, we have three of the 4 alternates from last year. ( Kimmo Pronger and Carter)
