New York Rangers: The next captain isn’t on the roster
The New York Rangers are a team that finished last season without a captain. Based on the expected roster out of camp, they likely will not have one again.
The very idea of a captain in the NHL is seemingly outdated concept. In theory, a captain is supposed to set the tone for the team around them and lead in their own particular style. Being that every captain is different, there is no exact science to leading a team. The New York Rangers have had a mix when it comes to their recent captains.
For as good of a player as Ryan McDonagh was with the Rangers, for whatever reason, the front office did not like his style of captaincy. It is apparent from the comments that the front office has given on background to New York Post reporter Larry Brooks. Multiple times Brooks described the front office as unsatisfied with McDonagh’s silent lead by example style.
Prior to McDonagh, the team had Ryan Callahan a true blood and guts captain. There was no mistake who the Rangers were as a team with Callahan wearing the captain’s “C” on his chest. The Rochester native was going to throw his body in the way of every shot he could and do everything feasible to help his team win.
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The Rangers have a handful of candidates for the captaincy, but none of the three candidates would make sense to actually choose. These are the three obvious candidates that in theory make sense, but under scrutiny fall apart.
Number three: Marc Staal
Let’s get the obvious out of the way, just because Marc Staal is the longest tenured skater on the team, does not mean he should be named captain. At one point. this would have been a logical choice. The veteran defenseman is amongst the most successful first round picks in the team’s recent history and is climbing the ranks in terms of team history.
At this point in his NHL career, Staal is seasoned veteran that looks slow in the modern National Hockey League. It is a philosophical choice, but it just does not look good when a team has a captain that is a bad player. There is no realm in which Staal is even a league average defenseman at age 31.
This would be a sentimental choice, but aside from his level of play, there is the obvious contractual issue. It is no secret that the Staal contract is probably the worst deal the Rangers have on their books. With three years remaining, Staal will likely only get worse which makes him a candidate for a buyout.
There is no point in naming a captain that does not figure into the long term future of the team which will be a recurring theme in this list.
Number two: Mats Zuccarello
This is painful to write, but Mats Zuccarello is likely in his final season as a Ranger. At 31-years-old, Zuccarello is an obvious outlier in terms of age on the rebuilding team. In addition to his age, the Norwegian forward is also in the final year of his contract.
Since Zuccarello is still a productive player, he is a prime candidate as trade bait come trade deadline time. It does not take much imagination to envision a scenario in which general manager Jeff Gorton trades the forward to a contender for draft capital or prospects.
Similar to Staal, it does not make sense to name Zuccarello captain if he is not going to be on the team long term. Having the captaincy be a revolving door is no way to establish a culture amongst the players. This is why the team did not name Martin St. Louis captain following the 2014 season. The front office and then coach Alain Vigneault both knew that St. Louis was not going to be on the team for more than one more season.
This all goes out the window if the team and Zuccarello agree to a long term extension. In that case, he would be the obvious choice. Based on the decisions of the previous 24 months, a veteran player on an expiring contract is going to be traded. The rebuilding process will take multiple years and having assets is more helpful than a forward prone to age related regression.
Number one: Chris Kreider
Unlike the previous two players on this list, Chris Kreider actually figures to be in the Rangers’ plans for the next several years. At 27 years old, the Boston native has time left in his prime production to remain relevant for a rebuilding team. In fact, there is a serious argument that the forward has still yet to put all of his skills together in one season.
There is always this air of inconsistency surrounding the former Boston College Eagle. For all of his physical skills, Kreider has failed to hit the 30 goal mark once in his career. The forward has all of the skills to be one of the league’s dominant power forwards, but he simply does not use his speed enough to get into open space.
Yet, this is the biggest reason not to name Kreider as captain. The forward is coming off of a life altering health scare last season in which he had a blood clot in his chest. There is enough on Kreider’s plate at this point in his career, he needs to worry about putting together a complete season and not have the added burden of leader.
Kreider would likely be repeating the same mistake that the team did with McDonagh. A talented but imperfect player that has elite potential but would be weighed down by the responsibility that accompanies the role.
The actual next captain
Whether or not you consider Lias Andersson a part of the current roster, he’s going to be the team’s next captain. All of the factors to consider make sense in the case of the Swedish center. At only 19 years old, the forward exudes the attitude of a captain in the making.
Andersson famously threw his silver medal from the 2018 World Junior Championship over the glass into the crowd how frustrated he was with finishing second. While some may see it as a sign of immaturity, I see it as someone who cannot stand losing. That is about as important a trait as possible when it comes to a captain. A leader who shows disdain for losing is a leader
In addition to Andersson’s medal tossing prowess, he also sounds like a leader. During an interview this past week, the forward quoted the movie “Miracle,” in an anecdote about how he got given the number 50.
“I was just given the number 50 and didn’t think about it,” Andersson said. “I play for the name on the front not the name on the back.”
The fact a 19 year old from Sweden quoted “Miracle,” has me convinced about his mindset. Provided that Andersson develops into the player the scouts think he will, he’s a safe bet for the job when the time comes.
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The Rangers next captain is a 19 year old that is likely a year away from playing top six minutes in the NHL. Being that the team has a rebuilding mindset, this is a perfectly acceptable timeframe to work in. Quinn shouldn’t force the agenda by naming a captain out of obligation, wait for Andersson to be ready for the job.