Fogghorn wrote:
What is the story with their choice in captain. Not to knock Landeskog, but youngest captain in NHL history? And I would have though with his style of play and sacrifice O'Reilly would have been the choice. Or at least procure and old vet and wait a couple years for them both to mature and then make the decision.
I think it was purely a PR move, just like the ill-fated "Pursuing History" campaign. And just like that stupid slogan, it's going to bite the Avs in the ass, if it hasn't done so already. Everyone was pretty stunned by the move since there were fans on HF already anointing O'Reilly a future captain the minute he was drafted.
Most all captain choices
are PR moves of course, but when that's the lone driving force behind such a choice, then it's a stupid move, much like painting a C on a goalie's helmet (not meaning to pick on your team, but I think the two moves are similar in that respect).
Hejduk clearly wasn't comfortable wearing the "C", but there were better candidates if he didn't want it anymore, or they could've just gone with no captain at all for another year. Not only has such an impetuous decision maybe aided in the alienation of last year's best player (I think sportswriters have overblown the whole "they passed me over for captain" aspect of the O'Reilly debacle, but no doubt he was disappointed by the move), it deprives the chance for players like Duchene to earn it. And Duchene so far has shown he is indeed captain material both on and off the ice. Management might not like Duchene as much for that role because he's much more opinionated than Quoteless Joe Sakic ever was, and they don't seem to like players who show personality.
Just a dumb move by management and coaching, but what else is new? I hope the new coach comes in (and sooner or later someone new will come in) and strips Landy of the captaincy. He may yet end up being worthy of it, but not right now. Let him focus on being a hockey player first.