With Steven Stamkos signing a four-year deal with the Nashville Predators, the Lightning must now appoint a new captain to lead the franchise. Fortunately, this is a straightforward decision, as Victor Hedman is clearly the most suitable candidate to become the 11th captain in franchise history. Naming anyone else captain would be a huge mistake by management, and the odds of this happening are less likely than Matt Rempe winning the Lady Byng Trophy.
Some might argue that Nikita Kucherov is more deserving, and while scoring is important, a true leader must possess many other qualities to be a successful captain in the NHL. A captain’s ability to build and maintain close relationships with every player on the team and also holding them accountable, is crucial. This is something a more reserved player like Kucherov, may struggle with.
Despite recently losing Steven Stamkos and Mikhail Sergachev, the Lightning still have many players remaining from their core group that made it to three consecutive Stanley Cup Finals. The next assistant captain will likely be someone from this group rather than a new addition to the team…
...Unless you're talking about Ryan Mcdonagh, who technically is an exception to this, having spent the last two seasons in Nashville. As many will remember, Mcdonagh previously played five seasons in Tampa Bay from 2017 to 2022 and was one of their best defensemen throughout this period. During that span, Mcdonagh’s leadership played a pivotal role in transforming the Lightning into a championship-calibre team that could keep its cool in almost any situation. He was also an assistant captain for the Bolts for three full seasons and has always been an exemplary leader in the league, going back to his time with the New York Rangers, where he was the captain from 2014 to 2018. Given his previous track record, he would likely be the betting favourite to once again become the Lightning's assistant captain.
The next most likely candidate for this role may be Anthony Cirelli - a player many would call the heart and soul of the team. This two-way forward embodies everything you want from a player, who does not play on your top line. His hunger for winning puck battles and determination to fight for every inch make him an ideal role model for younger players. Since being drafted in the third round by Tampa Bay in 2015, he has played 431 regular season games and has been one of the best penalty killers in the NHL. His grit and selfless dedication to helping the team are more than deserving of the honour of wearing the “A” patch.
If having a cool name was a factor in this decision, I wouldn’t be writing this article, and Brayden Point would have already been named the new assistant captain in Tampa. Like Cirelli and Hedman, Point has played his entire career with the Lightning, scoring 553 points in 580 regular season games and 87 points in 87 playoff games. Despite his smaller size, this all-star forward is one of the fastest and most versatile scorers in the NHL, and a nightmare to play against due to his seemingly telepathic chemistry with Kucherov. Similar to Kucherov, Point is a very reserved and soft-spoken individual who prefers to lead by example. The intense and fiery passion sometimes needed to deliver a galvanizing speech may not be in his playbook just yet.
While it’s possible that someone other than these three could be chosen, it remains unlikely due to being drafted by another organization, or lacking sufficient leadership experience. Having said that, it will be intriguing to see if the Lightning select more than one assistant captain to help fill the leadership gap left by Steven Stamkos's departure. Regardless of the choice, or whether it involves more than one individual, the Lightning have a strong trio of candidates and have likely already reached an internal decision.