Who wants to be a Captain?
Posted 12:48 PM ET | Comments 0
According to all the NHL sites we are seeing teams like Ottawa, Toronto, San Jose and Carolina are all not shying away from trading their Captain's. rnrnNew York Rangers already bought out and traded their 2014 Captains and Montreal has yet to resign their's. Buffalo and Columbus don't even have one.rnrnSo why is the role of the captain so important and prestigious if so many are available this summer?rrnrnThe role of Captain has gone from the most respected guy in the room to the most popular guy or the face of the Franchise. Do you really want Sydney Crosby dropping his gloves and sticking up for a teammate because he just got a cheap shot behind the play?rnrnThe most respected players in any NHL dressing rooms are usually the tough guys but rarely will you see one of these players have a letter on their sweater. You can't even call these guys "Dumb goons" because some guys went to Ivy League schools.rnrnHaving a tough guy with a spit lip and broken nose get in your face and tell you to put in a hard effort each night, might be more effective then a clean cut pretty boy. rnrnSo here is my list for potential UFA's that could fill the role of Locker Room leaders that today's Captains just don't have .rnrn1 Shawn Thornton - has been one of the leaders in this room for years and whichever team gets the aging veteran, will benefit. $1.2 x 2 yearsrrnrn2. Brian Boyle - tough to play against and plays key situations. Playoff performer. Probably could be had for $3.5 x 5 yearsrnrnrnrn3. Ryan Callahan - blocks shots, hits, and will drop the gloves if necessary. He will want a ton of money but a great guy to have in the room. $6 x 6 yearsrnrnrnrn4. Steve Ott - tough, mean and plays with an edge. Can score a few goals too. Leads by example and hard to play against. $4.3 x 3 yearsrnrnrnrn5. Zenon Kenopka - great face off man and penalty killer. Fights for his teammates and is a super guy. $1.1 x 2 yearsrnrnrnrn6. Dave Bolland - sand paper player who plays hard, competes every night and is great in the room. Injuries are the only thing holding him back from the big contract. $4.1 x 4 yearsrnrn7. Jerome Iginla - can score, hit, fight and lead a dressing room. Should be the captain of the Bruins or whichever team he signs with. If Jerome wants to cash in this year, now is the time...he could get $7.2 x 3 years if he is willing to leave the Bruins.rnrn8. Willie Mitchell - Stanley Cup champion who will cash in on another great performance. Has hard miles on him but will give his all when healthy enough to be in the line-up. Great leader. $4.4 x 2 yearsrnrnrnrn9. Mike Rupp - lost a step but still valuable in the room and on the ice. He can lead a young team and should have been a Captain somewhere by now.rnrn10. Steve Downie - gets hurt a lot but can skate and stand up for teammates. Probably be available for less then what he makes. $2.1 x 3 yearsrn