Western Conference: Assigning captains to the captain-less teams
After taking a look at the captain-less teams in the Eastern Conference, it is time to head out West and tackle the Western Conference.
Unlike the teams I spoke about in the East, these captain-less Western Conference teams are not all in the same boat.
The Minnesota Wild barely got into the expanded postseason, struggling all year to find an identity, as they were eliminated in the best-of-three Qualifying Round. The St. Louis Blues took a major step back after winning the franchise’s first Stanley Cup in 2019. This postseason, they were eliminated in the First Round at the hands of the Vancouver Canucks. The most well-rounded team in the postseason, the Vegas Golden Knights, fell to the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Finals.
Different stories, same outcomes.
That being said, let’s head to the Canada of the United States, looking at who should be named the captain in the State of Hockey.
Minnesota Wild
This Minnesota Wild team has an issue, and that’s a lack of identity. Following the end of this season, general manager Bill Guerin decided to make a major decision. That decision was not bringing back captain Mikko Koivu.
The Finland native has served as the team’s captain since the 2008-09 season, but with salary restrictions, and him being 36-years-old, the team decided that it was time to move on. While this was sad to see, it was not a shock due to events that occurred earlier in the season.
During this past Trade Deadline, it seemed every veteran was on the table, with Koivu, Matt Dumba, as well as Zach Parise being shopped to any potential suitors. At one point it seemed both Koivu and Parise were heading to the New York Islanders, but it came in after the strict 3:00 pm deadline.
On October 5, goaltender Devan Dubnyk was dealt to the San Jose Sharks, with Cam Talbot being signed to a three-year, $11 million dollar deal to fill his place.
With a mix of young talent and grizzled veterans, the best move for this franchise is to announce 30-year-old defenseman Jared Spurgeon as the next captain in franchise history.
Spurgeon is fresh off signing a seven-year deal, worth a total of $53.025 million, as he will play a major role in getting a winning culture back to the State of Hockey.
This past season, Spurgeon missed time with a hand injury as he only played in 32 of his team’s 69 games. When he did play, he played quite well, scoring 12 times (lead defensive group) with 20 assists.
But the biggest reason that Spurgeon deserves this honor is due to his path to the NHL. Back in 2008, Spurgeon was drafted 156th overall by the Islanders, but the team decided not to sign him. Due to this, Spurgeon played five seasons in the WHL with the Spokane Chiefs, winning a Memorial Cup in 2008. Following the 2009-10 season, the undrafted defenseman was invited to attend training camp for the Minnesota Wild. He impressed and was rewarded with a three-year entry-level deal, before being assigned to their AHL affiliate, the Houston Aeros.
After playing 23 AHL games, he would get the call-up, playing in his first NHL game on Nov 29, 2010, his 21st birthday.
Since then he has been a staple in this lineup, showcasing the importance of hard work and dedication to his craft. He does the little things on the ice to help his team win, those quick decisions leading to why he has been so successful at this level.
Obstacles are a part of life. Some jump over them. Some fail to do so. Like this Minnesota Wild team, they have plenty of obstacles to deal with to get back to their winning ways, and there is no better person who has had to go through hardships in his career paths to lead this team.
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues did not end their Playoff run with confidence. Their star netminder from a year prior in Jordan Binnington struggled mightily, hurting his team’s chances. Backup Jake Allen stepped up and played strong, leading to him being dealt to the Montreal Canadiens for a few draft picks in order to create more cap space.
This move was made to allow the team to re-sign their top free agents, particularly captain Alex Pietrangelo. After ongoing talks, both parties reached a standstill, as the team told their leader that he should test free agency.
While there was still a chance of him re-signing, that ended when UFA Torey Krug signed with St. Louis, a seven-year deal worth $45 million, as they knew the odds of bringing back their old captain was a long shot. Rather than wait for the inevitable, they jumped the gun to pick up a very strong defensive player.
Pietrangelo signed a seven-year, $61.6 million deal with the Vegas Golden Knights a couple of days later.
Filling the hole Pietrangelo leaves behind will not be an easy one. There are two players on this roster that came to mind when deciding which one the captaincy should be awarded too. Those two players are superstar winger Vladamir Tarasenko and two-way centerman Ryan O’Reilly.
The 28-year old Tarasenko has been playing for the Blues since his age 20 season. Over those eight years, he has been nothing but a dominant force offensively, scoring more than 30 goals and 30 assists in five of the last seven seasons.
This past year was a rough one for the team’s star, as he was only able to dress for 10 games. Shoulder injuries were the storyline and, even after returning, it seemed that his injury was still a problem. That led to his third shoulder surgery of his career.
Many are saying he may struggle to be the same player he once was, as things are not looking good to him being able to play once the regular season begins. He could miss significant time depending on when the season does start and if that is the case, it is very hard to reward him with a role like that, with him not being able to help his team out on the ice.
The safer bet is Ryan O’Reilly.
Being a leader is nothing new to the Ontario native. Back in 2009, O’Reilly captained Team Canada at the IIHF U18 Championships.
O’Reilly is one of those players that everyone should aspire to be. Back in 2019, in which the team took home the franchise’s first Stanley Cup, O’Reilly had a year to remember. Not only did he win the Selke Trophy and get elected to his third career All-Star Game, he also took home the Conn Smythe Trophy after recording 23 points (8G, 15A) in 26 playoff games.
All those awards are stellar and are well deserving. But I believe him coming in second place in the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy voting (10 PIM), something he is up for year after year, for a guy that goes to the dirty area, is even more impressive.
At the ESPY’s, Ryan O’Reilly spoke about his team and the magic of that season. He just sounds like a guy that is born to lead.
In a year in which the Blues found themselves in the basement of the Western Conference, the leaders of this locker room had to keep their teammates invested in the season and keep riding them to be the best players they can be. While O’Reilly did not hold any leadership role technically, if you think he did not play a major role in that team turning things around then maybe you took a Kevin Bieksa superman punch to the head. Jokes of course, but you get what I am saying.
This past season he found himself as an Alternate Captain once the news broke that fellow Alternate Captain Tarasenko would be out for five months. While wearing the “A” on his sweater was not a new role for him, a position he owned for all three seasons with the Buffalo Sabres prior, he put up 12 goals and 49 assists in 71 games. While it was a down year offensively in the goals department, he came in third place in both the Lady Byng vote and the Selke.
When play resumed for the expanded playoffs, O’Reilly stepped up his game, with four goals and seven assists in nine games. He was a superstar, winning 62.7% of his faceoffs, with zero trips to the penalty box, while shooting at a 17.4 perfect clip
He would be the perfect candidate to become the 20th captain in franchise history as the St. Louis Blues tries to shake off a weak ending in the bubble.
Vegas Golden Knights
Since becoming the 31st team in the NHL back in 2017, the Vegas Golden Knights, by design, have never named a captain. But Head Coach Peter DeBoer, who took over after Gerard Gallant was fired on Jan. 16, stated that there will be a captain named for the 2020-21 season.
After being eliminated in the Western Conference Final by the Dallas Stars, this Vegas team had many decisions to make in the offseason. While the majority of this group remained intact, defenseman Nate Schmidt was traded to Vancouver, so that they could afford to sign superstar defenseman and Stanely Cup winner Alex Pietrangelo.
Vegas also solidified themselves in net, signing pending UFA netminder Robin Lehner to a five-year extension, setting up a stellar one-two punch in goal with Marc-Andre Fleury serving as his counterpart.
When speaking of leaders, a name like Max Pacioretty stands out as a top candidate, with the veteran forward serving as the captain of the Montreal Canadiens from 2015-2018. But he has made it clear that he just wants to focus on playing hockey, seemingly not in dire need of holding that responsibility again. I mean, after becoming the first American captain in Montreal Canadiens’ history, and dealing with that pressure, I do not blame him.
That being said, veteran Mark Stone is the man for this job.
The Winnipeg-native has been as consistent as a threat offensively as there is. Despite being a 6th round draft selection back in 2010 by the Ottawa Senators, Stone has played better than scouts anticipated.
Before being dealt to the Vegas Golden Knights at the 2019 Trade Deadline, Stone had showcased his ability throughout his eight-year tenure with Ottawa. In 366 games with the club, he recorded 311 points (123 G, 188 A). The Senators made the playoffs four times in that span, with Stone registering 13 points in 27 postseason contests.
Once he was dealt to Vegas, the then 27-year old signed an eight-year extension worth $76 million.
With Vegas, Stone has elevated his game. Following the trade, he played in 18 games, collecting 11 points (5 G, 6 A) to finish out the regular season (77 GP, 33 G, 40 A) before recording 12 points (6 G, 6 A) in seven postseason games.
This past season, Stone continued to impress, becoming the team’s top offensive player. In the COVID-shortened regular season, in which he participated in 65 of the team’s 71 games, Stone netted 21 goals with 42 assists, two points shy of being a point per game player. That consistent play followed him into this past postseason run, in which Vegas was sent home after losing to the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Finals. In 20 games, Stone had seven goals and 10 assists, shooting at a 17.1% clip.
We can talk about his offensive numbers all we want, but Stone is more than just a one-dimensional player. He may be the most underrated two-way forward in the entire NHL.
He leads by example on both sides of the puck. He collects votes for the Selke trophy each season, something he may win before he hangs the skates up in the future. His quick thinking allows him to pick off opposing passes and steal pucks, which he did 78 times this season.
Leadership is not a new thing for Stone, who wore the “A” with the Senators prior to his departure, serving as the alternate captain as well with the Brandon Wheat Kings of the OHL.
If you are going to name a captain, you want him around for quite some time. Stone will not become a free agent until 2027, so he is the perfect guy to lead the Vegas Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup glory they so crave.