Andrei Markov, Tomas Plekanec, P.K. Subban and Max Pacioretty will all be wearing letters this season, but none of them will be the prestigious "C". The four will share assistant captain duties. General Manager Marc Bergevin just confirmed that this will be the case for all of this season, with both he and coach Michel Therrien stating that they felt this was the best option and that there's a transition that must take place.

Several reporters at Laval sur le lac Golf Course have confirmed from the Canadiens annual golf tournament that Subban will wear the "A" at home for the first 41 games, and Pacioretty will wear his on the road before they switch for the latter 41 games.

So, what does this all mean?

Does it mean they didn't trust any one of them to carry out these duties alone this season?

Have they avoided publicly giving out the "C" because they know that privately Carey Price is wearing it?

Is there a conspiracy to keep Subban from being captain? (Yep, people are already all over this angle... may as well address it).

Here are a few theories:

1. Bergevin and Therrien can be taken at their word on this. This is a transition year. It's clear that the team is getting younger, and that younger leaders have emerged, but there are two lifetime Canadiens--Markov and Plekanec--still in the fold, and stepping over them this season may unbalance the room.

2. The expectations are higher for this team than they have been in quite some time. If they name one of the two young guys captain, it might be a greater challenge than they want for that player starting out.

Pacioretty and Subban have emerged, but this is a year where the Canadiens still expect growth from both of them in different ways.

Pacioretty has to find the mental strength not to get down on himself, and needs to find consistent composure under the pressure of intense media/fan scrutiny, or under the bright lights of playoff hockey.

Will this test bring Subban to the next level, allowing him to prove he can lead on and off the ice; that he can be the ultimate team player at all times? That he'll play within himself?

This is the microscope both players will be under this season, and make no mistake, one of them will emerge as captain when all is said and done.

3. It's been long rumored that Markov wouldn't be interested in being captain, and it's been documented that he turned it down in the past. It's not so much that Markov is uncomfortable with the media responsibilities (a notion that's been misconstrued for quite some time), it's that he's not interested in them.

Perhaps the most interesting angle of this whole thing is that Plekanec wasn't named captain outright. He was the safest choice of the group, and it's not as though he's uncomfortable wearing the label. The fact is, Plekanec's future in Montreal is more up in the air than anyone has even speculated. He's got two seasons left on his contract, and his departure is the most likely opportunity for Alex Galchenyuk to find the middle of the ice. It may not happen this season--and early, you can forget about it--but eventually, moving Plekanec is likely on Bergevin's docket.

4. The theory that the Canadiens are just trying to keep Subban down is understandable, but also ridiculous. They just named him among the four leaders of their team, and this is a test for him to show that he can be even better with added responsibility. He's earned being a part of this group, but he doesn't have outright claim to the captaincy over two long-term vets and a contemporary--all of whom represent the franchise as well as he does.

Going back to theory number 1, I believe a big part of this is keeping harmony and balance in the room.

5. No matter who eventually wears the "C", Price is among this group of leaders, if not right out in front of it. Everyone in that room knows it, and most of the people outside of it know it too. There are others in there that can lead as well, from Moen to Gallagher, to Prust and Weaver. The Habs have a group of players that play for each other.

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