CAPTAIN LEAF

As the Toronto Maple Leafs are set to hold their 2018 training camp in Niagara Falls, Ontario, one particular question remains unanswered, will the team remain without a captain? In the case of the Leafs, there is no shortage of candidates for the job. Auston Matthews and John Tavares head the list of those being more than capable of wearing the leadership badge. Tavares, Toronto's prized free agent signing over the summer, served as captain of the New York Islanders for five seasons.

Although much of the discussion revolves around Matthews and Tavares, another name deserves to be in play. Defenceman Morgan Rielly, with 388 regular season games under his belt, is considered a leader in the dressing room and on the ice. Last year, Rielly lowered his plus/minus figure to a respectable minus-4. In 2016-17, his rating was minus-20.

 A two-way player, Rielly doesn't hesitate to lead a rush up ice and his speed allows him to quickly make his way back to defend the Leafs zone. Often, his leadership qualities can be witnessed in his post-game comments. Rielly tackles the tough questions and readily admits when his play is off kilter. At this point, Rielly is the anchor of a Toronto defence core that many tag as below par. The overwhelming criticism is the Leafs lack a number one defenceman. There are constant cries the club needs an Erik Karlsson or Victor Hedman to patrol the blueline. Until the Leafs can secure such a commodity, they will have to proceed with the current stable of defensemen in their organization.

And there is no reason why the defence as a collective unit cannot mature into a cohesive group that can get the job done right. Morgan Rielly, Nikita Zaitsev, Ron Hainsey and Travis Dermott are in place. The white elephant in the room is Jake Gardiner. Is it time to give up on him? Solely based on his performance in the elimination game last spring in Boston, many are of the opinion he is a liability. Gardiner's play comes across as lackadaisical and his failure to read what's going on around him calls into question his judgement. The hope in Leaf Nation is that Gardiner will be eager to redeem himself and concentrate on becoming a better defender. His offensive skills are his greatest asset. Perhaps, like Gary Leeman, the Leafs should consider converting Gardiner from defence to forward. In his new position, Leeman went on to be the second Leaf to score 50 goals in a season.

It is time to reflect on the future and not drown in playoff losses to the Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals. Remember 20 years-ago when Tomas Kaberle came out of nowhere and earned a roster spot? Who is to say prospects Rasmus Sandin, Timothy Liljegren and Igor Ozhiganov cannot emerge as the new Kaberle. Under these circumstances, Morgan Rielly's role as a player, mentor and leader will be vital to any success the Leafs are able to accomplish. If he was to become captain, acceptance from his teammates would be a given.

The question becomes how willing is Brendan Shanahan, Kyle Dubas and Mike Babcock to taking the leap to name Rielly as the captain of their ship? Behind closed doors, is the braintrust concerned about the reaction from Matthews and Tavares? In addition to being a top-five player in the NHL, did management envision Tavares wearing the captains "C" on his jersey?

Back in 1969, there was little doubt concerning which Maple Leaf would be crowned captain. With the brief retirement of George Armstrong, the club chose Dave Keon to become the 10th captain in team history. "They couldn't have made a better choice," stated Leaf goalie Bruce Gamble. "He's a leader and I don't mean just on the ice. We've had a few important player meetings since I joined the team, and Dave always had his say. He had no trouble getting his point across."

With Joe Sgro (pictured above sewing the "C" on Dave Keon's jersey) at the August Original Six Alumni Lunch

With camp getting underway on September 14, it will be intriguing to see what direction the Maple Leafs take concerning the captain issue. To ignore an appointment serves no purpose. The team needs a leader in the tradition of Hap Day, Ted Kennedy, George Armstrong, Dave Keon, Mats Sundin and all those that had the honour of being captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs.