When Steve Yzerman and the Tampa Bay Lightning bought out the remainder of Vincent Lecavalier’s contract earlier this off-season, two holes were created in the Lightning lineup. The first hole, down the middle on the second line, has been filled by Valtteri Filppula. The second hole, the team’s captaincy, is still vacant.
In all likelihood, there are two real candidates ‘running’ to become the Lightning’s next captain. In one corner there’s the wily veteran, Martin St. Louis; in the other corner there’s the young gun, Steven Stamkos. There are arguments to be made for and against each player. Simply put, Steve Yzerman and head coach Jon Cooper have a very difficult decision ahead of them.
The argument for St. Louis is simple. He’s experienced, he’s won with the Lightning, and he is respected (read: revered) in the Lightning room and hockey circles around the league. Few players command the respect and admiration that #26 does each and every time he steps out onto the ice. At 38 years old, he is still one of the league’s most productive and offensively dominant players. Captaincy or no captaincy, the fact remains that his jersey will be sent straight to the rafters of the Tampa Bay Times Forum whenever he finally decides to hang up the skates.
On the other hand, it’s very hard to ignore the reality that, for all intents and purposes, Steven Stamkos is the face of the franchise. Further to that, the trend around the NHL has been to name young players like him captains. Gabriel Landeskog leads the Avalanche. Jonathan Toews wears the ‘C’ in Chicago. That Sidney Crosby guy has done a decent job in Pittsburgh, too. Logically, Stamkos fits right in. He’s likely to be with the Lightning for a long while, and he possesses nearly every quality that any team would look for when naming a new captain. The only thing he doesn’t have is winning experience.
With all that in mind, it’s time for the return of the “It’s Your Call!” segment here at Hockey Buzz. Who do you want to see wearing the ‘C’ for the Tampa Bay Lightning on opening night, #26 or #91? Sound off in the comments section, and don’t forget to answer in the poll below.
As always, thanks for reading.
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