It was announced yesterday that the San Jose Sharks will start the 2014-15 NHL campaign without a captain, nor any alternates. While that likely won’t come as a surprise to many as the Sharks blew a 3-0 series lead to the eventual Stanley Cup champions (the LA Kings), what is odd is the fact that Thornton could potentially earn back his captaincy.
The Sharks are certainly no strangers when it comes to changing captains. Patrick Marleau, also stripped of his ‘A’, captained the club from 2004 through 2009, Rob Blake sported the ‘C’ for one year before retiring, and Joe Thornton had been the captain since.
“We’re starting the season with a clean slate. Coming into training camp, everyone is starting with no equity – from rookies through all of the veterans” said head coach Todd McLellan. McLellan also stated “Thornton could end up being the captain. I don’t know, none of us know”.
Thornton described the situation as “strange” and stated that having captaincy is “a big honor, and it’s a big responsibility”.
With captaincy up for grabs now in San Jose, here are six candidates that could don the “C” for the San Jose Sharks next season:
Joe Thornton: Unlikely, but it is certainly a possibility that Thornton returns as the Sharks captain. It would be completely ridiculous, but then again, I also thought keeping McLellan was ridiculous. We shall see.
Joe Pavelski: Perhaps the front-runner to take over, Pavelski had a career year last season scoring 41 goals and 79 points in 82 games. While he’s unlikely to reach those highs again next season, it’s clear Pavelski is a big part of the Sharks’ future, making him a solid candidate.
Patrick Marleau: Also unlikely, seeing as they seem to want to start completely fresh, but I don’t think you can completely count him out either. He’s still a top-end player for San Jose.
Marc-Edouard Vlasic: Vlasic experienced a breakout season in 2014, even making Team Canada at the Olympics and garnering some Norris Trophy discussion, and with Dan Boyle gone he’ll be the go-to guy in all situations now. If I was in charge of picking a captain, I’d go with Vlasic; he’ll be there for a while and is a big part of the franchise going forward.
Logan Couture: Maybe a bit too ripe to be chosen, but Couture is also going to be a top player for a long time in San Jose. There’s a good chance he does get it, whether that’s this season or when they inevitably change again remains to be seen.
Antti Niemi: Maybe? Nah, not happening, but stranger things have happened I suppose.
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