San Jose Sharks Captaincy

An article broke late Wednesday afternoon on NHL.com (which can be found here) regarding one of the last two teams that have yet to name a captain. It sounds like the San Jose Sharks have put a deadline on that decision finally.

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The other team yet to name a captain is the New Jersey Devils. It doesn’t sound like they’re in a rush to name one either. It’s a team looking to re-build, and likely waiting for young guys to step up and take leadership roles.

Quoting parts of the article found on NHL.com,

The San Jose Sharks will name a captain before their season-opener against the Los Angeles Kings on Oct. 7, first-year coach Peter DeBoer told CSNBayArea.com on Wednesday.When that captain will be named is still unknown, although “it won’t be the morning of the [Kings] game,” DeBoer said. “I’ll give [the media] a little more notice.”DeBoer has had a number of players serve as alternate captains during preseason games, among them forwards Joe Pavelski, Joe Thornton, Logan Couture and Patrick Marleau, and defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Marleau and Thornton previously have been Sharks captains.“We’ve kind of spread it out amongst a group of guys that I think are all part of the leadership committee here,” DeBoer said. “There wasn’t a ton of thought put into it. The guys who have worn the ‘A’ in preseason are the guys who are, for me, a part of that leadership group that’s here.“I’m very happy with the leadership here. Real impressed with how they come to work every day, the professionalism, how serious they are. There’s a lot of good things in that area here.”The Sharks have not had a captain since Thornton was removed from the role prior to last season under former coach Todd McLellan.

During the preseason, the San Jose Sharks have had several players serve as alternate captains. Among the group is Joe Pavelski, Joe Thornton, Logan Couture, Patrick Marleau, and Marc-Edouard Vlasic.

You’d have to assume that due to age and fact that both have been captains before, that Thornton and Marleau are more likely to see “A”s on their jersey. Personally for me, I feel like Logan Couture would be the most logical choice due to his age and skill-set. But the other, almost biggest factor is his leadership skills, and what kind of player he is in the dressing room. All we can do on that is speculate because we really don’t know. I could also see Joe Pavelski being given the “C” as he must have leadership qualities due to his past history with the team.

I am curious why Brent Burns hasn’t had a sniff at the alternate captaincy throughout the preseason. I’ve only played hockey once with Brent during summer hockey in Bradford, ON way back when he first got drafted by Minnesota. But it doesn’t take long to realize he’s got great character and personality. As for his leadership skills, I wouldn’t have a clue.

So, San Jose Sharks fans who would you prefer to see as your Captain moving forward? Do you give it to one of the veterans like Marleau and Thornton, only to extend this relationship that should have ended awhile ago. Or do you turn the page and start a new chapter by giving it to a younger player? I prefer the latter personally, but I’m interested to hear what San Jose fans prefer.

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