When the Buffalo Sabres open up their season Friday night against the Montreal Canadiens, there may still be one major question left unanswered: the captaincy.
Coach Lindy Ruff is still uncertain about who the next captain will be. Last season, he instituted a monthly rotation and has not ruled out that possibility again this season.
"My initial thoughts would be to rotate it again," Ruff told the media on Saturday. "We've discussed it as a staff but still haven't come to a conclusion."
The concept had the potential to work last season because co-captains Chris Drury and Daniel Briere signed free agent contracts with the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers, respectively. Buffalo was faced a major leadership void and Ruff wasn't sure who was ready to step up and take control of the locker room. In many ways, Ruff was the full-time captain last year.
But with virtually the entire 2007-2008 roster returning, there should be at least one player who can lead the team.
Jason Pominville was the last Sabre to wear the "C" in a regular season game. He led the team at the most crucial time, down the stretch as the Sabres just failed to make the playoffs.
Pominville signed a five-year $26.5 million extension just before training camp opened last month. Ruff trusts him. His teammates trust him. He's going to be in a Sabres uniform for the long haul, so take a gamble and let him keep the letter. He was also a candidate for the Lady Byng Trophy, which is awarded to the player who best exhibits gentlemanly play. So he's obviously a very people-friendly person.
Jochen Hecht, Derek Roy, Paul Gaustad, Jaroslav Spacek and Teppo Numminen are other serious candidates. Each has the qualities necessary to captain a National Hockey League franchise but whether or not they can do what needs to be done consistently is the reason why is Ruff is skeptical for naming a permanent captain.
The rotating captaincy is an idea that the Sabres took from the Minnesota Wild, who used it with success. Since joining the NHL in 2000, have never named a permanent captain. The Wild have made it work, making the playoffs three of their seven years in existence.
Other teams with captaincy issues like the Vancouver Canucks have decided to ignore the rules completely. NHL rules state that a goaltender cannot wear a letter but the Canucks named goalie Roberto Luongo their active captain. Other players will wear the "C" but Loungo is the team leader. He even had the letter painted onto the chin of his mask. It's unorthodox but at least Vancouver has targeted one player as "their guy."
The Sabres have passing the captaincy along once before last season. After trading away captain Stu Barnes because of budget concerns during the last days of the Rigas family's ownership at the end of the 2002-03 season, the Sabres once again weren't sure who could shoulder the responsibility. Ruff passed the letter around and the Sabres, like last season, missed the playoffs.
The Sabres named Drury and Briere co-captains coming out of the lockout and combining stable leadership with an up-and-coming team, the Sabres experienced one of their most memorable and successful seasons ever.
Rotating the captaincy last year should have given Ruff enough information about who can lead the team and who can't. The captain may still be up in the air, but with a more experienced team, hopefully someone will be able to step up and hang onto the "C" for good.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
