The worst-kept secret in the sporting world this week was officially confirmed on Wednesday morning, as the Toronto Maple Leafs announced that Auston Matthews would be named the 26th captain in franchise history. Many felt this move would come eventually, even from the moment the team drafted him in 2016, but what caught people by surprise was the circumstance of the torch being passed without a vacancy.
Is A Captain Swap Wise? Is This The Right Time?
In making Matthews captain, the Maple Leafs also removed the “C” from the jersey of John Tavares, who signed with the team in the summer of 2018 and became their captain ahead of the 2019/20 season.
It’s not often in the NHL that a team shifts the role to another player while the previous captain is still on board, and results have been mixed. In Los Angeles, for example, Dustin Brown had the captaincy taken away from him in 2016 to pass along to Anze Kopitar. While he was happy to back his longtime teammate and help him through the transition, he showed public frustration with the process. Things did ultimately sort themselves out, as Brown remained with the Kings for six more seasons, though the team has yet to re-find deep playoff success since the change.
Conversely, the San Jose Sharks have had the transition play to their benefit a couple of times across their history – most notably when they removed the role from Joe Thornton, took a gap year without a captain, and then placed the responsibility on Joe Pavelski, subsequently going on their first run to the Stanley Cup Final that very season.
Making the switch with the previous leader can create tension, but it can also allow for continued mentorship for the incoming leader, and the latter is what the Maple Leafs are betting on by making this move now. Tavares has played the mentor role of sorts for the star trio of Matthews, Marner, and Nylander for the past six years and can continue to do that as Matthews gets the hang of the increased responsibilities in the new role.
At the same time, it’s not unfair to wonder if the timing of this situation is fair to the veteran forward. While most can agree that Matthews’ emergence for this role was inevitable, the change comes after much of the city demanded a major change from the team following another early spring exit, and upper management vowed to exhaust their options. The result hasn’t been the radical change that many were hoping for – particularly as the core contingent of Matthews, Tavares, Marner, Nylander, and Rielly all seem on track to stay with the team.
So, in that sense, one can argue that this change almost plays a role as a distraction. After all, captaincy is more of a matter of tradition and PR in the modern age – the strongest leaders in the room can fulfill that role without having the letter on their chest. It’s also difficult for the public to know who those internal leaders even are, with most guessing based on their feelings towards the players. With that in mind, this move puts the team’s lack of success on Tavares’ plate and punts discussion of more significant moves forward, even if it’s in alignment with the dressing room.
With that in mind, it would be disappointing to see this end in Tavares spending his last year with the team, after choosing to come home in one of the most prominent free agent pursuits in league history, as a “lame duck”, stripped of a role he performed with pride and consistency. Ideally, this ends with a situation similar to Brown and Thornton’s where Tavares sticks around beyond these years, giving up a bit of responsibility to the younger face of the franchise but continuing to chip away at his Toronto legacy.
Tavares is eligible for a new contract now, and when asked about an extension following the press conference, he wouldn’t get into specifics but spoke about his desire to stay with the team moving forward. If they can achieve a reasonable deal for both sides, it would go a long way to make this a successful torch-passing.
Auston Matthews to win 2024/25 Hart Memorial Trophy
34 in 24 – It’s Auston’s Team, Officially
All concerns about Tavares aside, it’s hard to deny that the core decision being made – making Matthews the official leader of this team – wasn’t the right call at some point and that a lot of these semantics are more about when than if.
Matthews has been an extraordinary talent for the Leafs organization since his very first shift, and he is well on his way to being the team’s most decorated player in their 100+ year history. Still just 26 years old, he’s already sixth in franchise history in points (649) and third in goals (368), was the team’s first Calder Trophy (Rookie of the Year) winner in over 50 years in 2017, and their first Hart Trophy (MVP) winner in nearly 70 years in 2022. His generational goal-scoring ability, excellent two-way play, and loud persona have made him the lifeblood of the team for much of his tenure.
When Tavares was named captain in 2019, the timing wasn’t there yet for Matthews. He was still young and fresh to the league under the pressures of the NHL’s toughest market, and an off-ice incident in Arizona that summer provided a level of embarrassment and immaturity that showed that it wasn’t the right time for him. As time has progressed, though, his maturity as a player and person has only continued to grow, and his role as the team’s premier talent – along with one of the faces of the sport at large – has only grown. Armed now with a four-year contract extension that begins this year, the first of which was signed with the option for unrestricted free agency, his commitment to being among the greatest Leafs ever is to be unquestioned.
“I’ve got chills, honestly,” said Matthews of the moment in the media event today. “I’m so honoured and humbled. Since being drafted here eight years ago, you realize how special it is to play for the city of Toronto. To wear the Maple Leaf on your chest every single night, it just means the world. To have the support from Johnny, my teammates, our staff, ownership, my family, it just means the world to me.”
Now, it’s up for him to deliver – not just with goal-scoring titles and highlight-reel plays, but to fully carry this team – his team – to heights that they frustratingly haven’t been able to reach in an era of high expectations.
Implications For Next Season?
Naturally, Leafs fans, observers of the game at large, and, of course, NHL bettors are curious as to whether or not this makes a big impact on the team next season.
Ultimately, it’s so hard to say. The new role could inspire Matthews to even greater heights than his 69-goal form from last season, or it could end up being something that takes his mind off of the play. The same goes for Tavares. If the decision dents his pride in any way, it could mean a step back. But it’s possible that he plays with a more free mind and has a big bounce-back season – his best year in Toronto, after all, was the first season, before him being given the captain’s role officially.
That’s not even getting to the rest of the team, who, if this move does signal a change in the room, could be motivated by a new voice or taken aback by different methods.
All in all, a lot is up in the air here. For now, Toronto remains second amongst most sportsbooks in the running for the Atlantic Division title (+300), eighth in Presidents’ Trophy odds (+1200), and ninth in overall Stanley Cup odds (+1400).
For Matthews, he remains firmly in the mix for several major awards, including a second Hart Trophy (+850, 3rd-shortest), his first Selke Trophy (+800, 2nd), and a fourth Rocket Richard Trophy (-110, 1st).
