By J.D. Lagrange, Senior Writer, All Habs Hockey Magazine
While he may not have been unanimous amongst the fan base during his five year stay in Montreal, there was no doubt in the dressing room that Brian Gionta was the team captain, and a good one. Players rallied behind the veteran player, who had not only an excellent work ethic, but carried himself like a true professional should. With the news that he would not be back next season, accepting a three year, $12.75 million offer from the Buffalo Sabres, the Canadiens now have to look at some new blood to lead the team to glory.
PENTICTON, B.C. — Before being traded, ironically also to the Buffalo Sabres for a second round pick, Josh Gorges was always thought as captain material. He was an undisputed leader, a player who could be relied on to face the music when things didn’t go well, one to speak up in the dressing room or on the ice, a player who even welcomed rookie Brendan Gallagher into his house to teach him the ropes of becoming a professional hockey player on and off the ice.
Of course there are Andrei Markov and Tomas Plekanec, would will be starting their 14th and 10th season in a Habs’ uniform respectively, who are very high on the list of candidates to succeed to Brian Gionta, but there are many in the fan base who are pushing for the outspoken P.K. Subban to be rewarded with the “C” on his jersey.
This has created some interesting debates amongst fans desperate for hockey talk this summer and while they don’t always want to admit it, both sides are bringing some pretty solid arguments to the table, whether you’re in favour or not of giving the responsibility to the one who signed the most lucrative contract in the history of the most storied franchise in the NHL.
All those in favour…
When arguing in favour of Subban, we cannot ignore the fact that not only is he the best paid athlete on the team, but also amongst all NHL defensemen. When teams give players like him that kind of money, they are gambling a huge deal on the fact that they will be a major contributor to their success.
Subban is signed long term, the maximum eight years allowed with the new CBA, and has a no-movement clause to his contract. As we’ve seen recently, this doesn’t mean that a player cannot be traded, but it does show that the player wants to stay long term, and if you give Subban the captaincy, chances are that he would fulfill that role for a long time, considering also his young age.
He is a high performing athlete, having won the Norris trophy already and having been named to the Canadian Olympic team who won the Gold in Suchi. While he only played about 10 minutes in the entire tournament, he was hanging out with some of the best leaders in the game and has said himself that it was a great learning experience.
When the chips were down in the playoffs last year, Subban took on a bigger leadership role. Team General Manager Marc Bergevin was quick to give him, along with teammates Carey Price and Max Pacioretty, praise for their leadership during those playoffs, saying that the youth on the team did a great job supporting the veteran leadership already in place. This has certainly contributed to the departure of both Gionta and Gorges, as the team felt like the young leadership was solid.
In a captain, you look for a guy who takes his career seriously and there are few players who work out and train harder than Subban during the off-season or in practice. Many will say that the problems he has had early on in his career with some teammates was related directly to his “intensity” in practice. As a young player, he needs (or needed) to learn when to turn the intensity down and when to bring it up.
Is there anyone who likes to be under the spotlight more than P.K. Subban? He loves dealing with the media and while his answers aren’t always “canned”, he seems to always say the right things. As the captain is expected to face the media on a regular basis, being the face of the franchise for photo shoots and other events, Subban wouldn’t have to change anything to his routine to fulfill that role as he’s already doing it.
Subban loves the city and just as importantly, he loves the Habs. Not that you have to have grown up as a Habs’ fan to become the team captain, but for him, it’s a lifelong love story with this franchise. He wants to wear the uniform. He wants to proudly represent the logo in front of the jersey and he wants to win the team’s 25th Stanley Cup.
Those opposed…
Those opposed to him becoming the captain next season are not necessarily saying that he should never be captain, but most claim that he is not the best candidate today. They say that while he may be best paid player on the team, he is not the best. Carey Price is the team MVP but he cannot be captain, as we have witnessed the circus surrounding Roberto Luongo when the Vancouver Canucks gave him the captaincy. For that, they feel like the salary should not be a deciding factor in selecting the next captain.
What seems like not too long ago, Subban was picking fights with some of his teammates, most notably Tomas Plekanec, Max Pacioretty and Andrei Markov. While he kept pretty clean of such controversy last year, fans are left wondering if enough time has passed for him to have the necessary respect in the dressing room from everyone, or would his nomination split the dressing room?
There is no denying that Subban has some work to do, especially on the ice, in order to become a better team player. Most notably, he is still lacking the necessary discipline, too often taking selfish penalties at bad times, and even losing his cool on the ice. Two seasons ago, Subban finished 11th in the NHL for the number of minor penalties taken and instead of improving on it last season, he finished the season with as the fifth most penalized player (minor penalties only) in the league.
Subban is young, and he has only a few seasons under his belt in the NHL and in those seasons, he has had enough to worry about improving his own game instead of having to worry about helping others or taking on more responsibilities. Unlike other young players in the organization like Brendan Gallagher, Jarred Tinordi or Michael Bournival who all captained their junior team to the Memorial Cup, Subban has never been known for his leadership in recent past. This doesn’t mean that he would be unable to learn, but he has no previous experience being the go-to guy on his team when it comes to responsibilities.
Some fans feel like Subban will have enough pressure having to live up to his new contract, without adding any additional pressure coming with the team’s captaincy. Wouldn’t it be better off giving him an “A” and see how he performs with the monetary pressure before making a commitment and giving him the team? Perhaps giving the captaincy to a veteran for a few seasons would work out well for Subban and for the team?
I am personally torn between the two sides. I can see both the pros and the cons and I genuinely respect each side’s opinions and points they are bringing to the table as legitimate. It is my feeling that the captaincy will be offered to Andrei Markov first, but due to the fact that he highly dislikes dealing with the media, it is unlikely that he accepts. He is more comfortable with an “A” on his jersey. In my opinion, it leaves Tomas Plekanec and Subban as legitimate candidates. Plekanec wore the “C” for the Czech Republic at the Sochi Olympics and he is a true professional as well. He is the safe choice. I’m sure glad that I don’t have to make that decision though.
Go Habs Go!