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Ex-Maple Leafs GM believes Auston Matthews' captaincy was a huge mistake
Photo credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Former Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Gord Stellick has some strong opinions about the franchise, and those opinions extend to captain Auston Matthews.
When the Toronto Maple Leafs gave Auston Matthews the captaincy, there was a lot of controversy as it came at the expense of John Tavares.
Tavares had done nothing wrong. However, his contract was expiring, and there were rumblings that he may not re-sign. Meanwhile, Matthews was starting a major contract and was the clear-cut future of the franchise.
As expected, Matthews hasn't really done anything with the captaincy. He has mostly been a quiet guy, and last year's collapse against the Florida Panthers didn't really show us much.
Gord Stellick isn't so sure about Auston Matthews
Former Maple Leafs general manager Gord Stellick seems to agree with the naysayers. In his mind, the Leafs have almost made the captaincy some sort of arbitrary award.
During a segment on "The Real Kyper & Bourne," Stellick did make sure to acknowledge that Tavares was a class act for his handling of the situation.
There's nothing wrong if your best player isn't a leader. All I can say is last year, you couldn't be more of a team guy, a classy guy, the way he (John Tavares) handled the transition, and then the leadership meant nothing, it's not even a visible thing. It's almost like an award to wear the C.
As for who Stellick would have chosen to be captain, he believes Morgan Rielly would have been his man for the job. Although we're not so sure Leafs fans would agree.
If you would have asked me a few years ago, I would've picked Morgan Rielly. He kind of strikes me as a captain, but its an important thing being the captain, and the leadership group is important.
At the end of the day, the Leafs live and die with their captain. If he can't rally the troops, this team is not going to make the playoffs.
Overall, you can't help but be a bit worried if you are a Leafs fan. With Matthews struggling and the team struggling, something has to give.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 1 | 423 ANSWERS Ex-Maple Leafs GM believes Auston Matthews' captaincy was a huge mistake Do you believe Auston Matthews should be the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs? | ||
| YES | 108 | 25.5 % |
| NO | 315 | 74.5 % |
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