3 reasons why Maple Leafs made a mistake stripping John Tavares of Leafs captaincy

By Cole Shelton

Modified Aug 13, 2024 15:54 GMT

The Toronto Maple Leafs will make the formal announcement on Wednesday that Auston Matthews is their new captain, as John Tavares will rescind the captaincy.

Tavares has been the captain since October 2019, but as he enters the final year of his deal, Toronto has changed its leadership.

Following the news, here are three reasons why removing Tavares as captain is a mistake.

3 reasons why Maple Leafs made a mistake stripping John Tavares of Leafs captaincy

#1, Could cause unnecessary attention

The captaincy doesn't mean a whole lot in the NHL, as people can be leaders in the locker room, or on the ice, without the title. So, removing it from Tavares could cause unnecessary attention to him.

Tavares was already under fire as some fans wanted him to be traded, and now that he won't be the captain anymore, perhaps there will be more desire to move him.

#2, Matthews becomes scapegoat

If Toronto falters again in the playoffs, Auston Matthews could very well be the scapegoat for the team.

Fans have placed blame on Mitch Marner and John Tavares throughout the years, but with Matthews now as the captain, he could receive plenty of criticism.

Although who leads in the locker room is not known publicly, because Matthews has the captaincy, he now has to answer all questions about the team and take the blame if something goes wrong.

#3, Leafs admitted they made a mistake

By removing the captaincy from John Tavares, the Toronto Maple Leafs may have just admitted they made a mistake in signing him, as well as giving him the seventh year and naming him the captain.

Former Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke spoke on 'Leafs Morning Take' and said stripping Tavares of the "C" wouldn't be smart.

“I’ve had the discussion before and it’s such a drastic step,” Burke said. “It’s admitting you made a mistake in my mind if you put the ‘C’ on a guy and take it away. You’ve seen it happen, it happened in San Jose and it’s happened recently. It’s not unheard of, but it is unusual.

“I wouldn’t entertain that discussion. I think John Tavares is a quality player and a good guy. He’s earned his money, he’s done a good job, he’s killed penalties, he’s worked on the power play, I think he’s a useful guy, he’s good in the community. I’ve heard the rumours though, the rumblings,” Burke added.

Ultimately, the Maple Leafs have decided to make the big move.