Who Will Be The Next Captain of the Canadiens?
With the departure of Shea Weber, the Montreal Canadiens are heading into the 2022-23 season without a captain. In January, Montreal GM Kent Hughes confirmed that he will appoint a new captain by the start of next season. Due to the many young players who will be playing for the Habs, leadership will be crucial in the coming years. Here are the top 3 candidates to be the 31st captain of the franchise.
Many fans believe Suzuki will be the next captain because he was on the stage when Slafkovsky was selected at the 2022 draft. He has been seen representing the Habs at many charity events in recent months. It seems that Hughes and his team want him to be the face of the franchise. He signed for 8 more years and is in Montreal to stay. Last year, he was awarded an "A" on his jersey.
There is no doubt that Nick Suzuki has shown both, on and off the ice, that he could be a great captain for the Montreal Canadiens. One concern is his age. At 22, is he too young to take all the responsibility that comes with the "C"?
Brandon native Joel Edmundson was a key part of Montreal's Cup run in 2021. With his Stanley Cup win in 2019, Edmundson brings much-needed experience to the Canadiens' young squad. With the departure of Petry and Romanov, he quickly became the Habs primary defenceman. In his two seasons with Montreal, he has proven to be a steady and calm presence on the blue line for the club. He was also an alternate captain last season. After the death of his father in January, he has shown perseverance and resilience. With all the young defencemen like Guhle, Barron, and Harris, Edmundson will surely be a great mentor for the Montreal Canadiens.
Since his first steps with Montreal in 2012, Gallagher has shown strong character and leadership. He is a hard worker and a great example of determination. Last season, he put up poor numbers, with only 7 goals and 17 assists. Lately, the 30-year-old winger has been vocal about his frustration with refereeing decisions. The former 5th-round pick sometimes lets the frustration get to him and makes bad decisions. Brendan Gallagher is a top candidate for the Habs vacant captaincy. We will see if Kent Hughes wants his rookies to act like Gallagher in the future.
| POLL | ||
Who should be the next captain of the Montreal Canadiens? | ||
| Nick Suzuki | 25 | 32.1 % |
| Joel Edmundson | 16 | 20.5 % |
| Brendan Gallagher | 37 | 47.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
