With the recent news that the Toronto Maple Leafs will be making a change with their captaincy as former New York Islander John Tavares hands the "C" over to Auston Matthews, there has been debate about Tavares being stripped of the captaincy. While it seems more complex than that, there has been some debate about whether or not the New York Rangers should be exploring options with what they do with their captaincy with the knowledge that they want to move on from Jacob Trouba.
There has been a debate about who would fill the void left by the giant right-shot defenseman if the title became available ahead of the 2024-25 campaign, and there are several good options. With the Rangers' core being mature and their young players starting to come of age, the organization could take a couple of routes if they were to move Trouba out the door.
Peter Laviolette will probably be the determining voice in deciding who gets the honor of captaining this Original Six franchise. When Trouba was named captain, some other options weren't ready, and I think one man was just overlooked. There's been a roaring debate since then, but since it is the middle of August and hockey is not imminent, let's look at the players who could replace Trouba as the leader of this organization.
For clarification's sake, I firmly believe that the "C" is merely symbolic in hockey. The appointment of a new captain will keep the voices of all 23 players, coaches, training staff, and front office. Leadership does not come from one person; it takes everyone, especially if you will be a successful franchise in this league. Knowing it is the most taxing league in the world, everyone has to provide in this regard.