The Toronto Maple Leafs recently decided to make a leadership change that took the hockey world by storm, taking the “C” off of John Tavares and naming superstar Auston Matthews as the new captain. While Tavares has one season left on his current contract and reports point to everyone, including Tavares, being supportive of this decision, there is always the chance for a rift to be caused in the dressing room. Matthews is still young, but with his impact as a member of the Maple Leafs and how dominant he has been offensively, he seems to be the perfect choice to lead them. Some fans around the league questioned the Maple Leafs’ loyalty to their veteran players and claimed it could be an issue, but I think it’ll be quite the opposite, especially if Tavares truly supports this change.
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During the unveiling of Matthews as captain, Tavares made it very clear he supported this change. While it’s easy to assume the Maple Leafs stripped Tavares of his duties as captain, it was quite the opposite, and it seems as though management eased him through the process of gifting him the responsibility. Something like this is uncommon in the NHL, but the Maple Leafs are trying to move past the situation so it doesn’t become an issue. In this article, let’s look at what pros and cons come from giving Matthews the “C”.
Matthews Could Find Another Level With Newfound Confidence
Matthews is already considered one of the greatest goalscorers of all time, as his current pace has him on a trajectory to fly up the all-time leaderboard. At 26 years old, he has already reached 368 goals throughout his young career. Last season, he almost reached the 70-goal plateau with 69 goals through 81 games. While it may have been bittersweet for some fans who wanted him to reach 70, getting 69 in a single season is a ridiculous achievement and with some newfound confidence from his team, he might somehow be able to find another level offensively.
One thing that Maple Leaf fans often criticize Matthews for is his playoff inconsistency. While he may not be the most elite player in the postseason, the team’s inability to win a series shouldn’t be blamed solely on him. Last season, he had one goal and three assists for four pints through five games, and was dealing with an injury before they were eliminated by the Boston Bruins in seven games. In the 2022-23 season, he was a point-per-game player with 11 points through 11 games before the Maple Leafs were taken out in Round 2. Adding onto his regular season play, that slight boost of confidence could turn Matthews into a different animal when the postseason comes around.
Are There Any Negatives to Worry About?
As mentioned earlier, there is always a concern with how players react to a change like this. All signs are pointing to the whole organization supporting this decision, so it shouldn’t cause any issues. There is a chance the team is putting on a face and supporting the decision in front of the camera, and nobody will ever know what is truly going on behind the scenes. However, everyone involved in the interviews and discussing the change has seemed positive, and there seems to be a genuine sense of excitement heading into the new season.
At the end of the day, this change should impact the Maple Leafs positively. Fans around the league continue to question the decision when Tavares only has one season left on his contract, but there doesn’t seem to be anything to worry about. The Maple Leafs will set their focus on winning their first Stanley Cup since 1967 as the new campaign rolls around, and they have put their faith in a young Matthews to help get them over the hump and bring a championship back to Canada.
