St. Louis Blues Likely In Search For A New Alternate Captain
By Todd Panula
Robby Fabbri
Robby Fabbri seems the least likely choice, but it isn’t completely out of the question. He came up quickly and produced. He could be ready for a bigger role in the team as well.
On the one hand it might not make sense given how young he is. While teams have an interesting dynamic that is different than normal life, does it make sense to give a leadership role to a 20 year old when you have guys in their 30’s also on the team?
In his favor though, he was an alternate with the Guelph Storm, so he’s been there before. He’s been such an energizing force as well that sometimes you don’t have to be the most vocal and can lead by example.
Just because someone is young doesn’t mean you can’t be someone people look to. Fabbri is very talented and seems to be well liked by the team. Giving him an extra role doesn’t seem like it would be daunting to him.
Jaden Schwartz
The Blues are already looking to Jaden Schwartz to be a cornerstone for their team. Although it hasn’t happened as of writing this, he is expected to get a fairly sizable contract. The team wants to lock him up for the long term.
They’re obviously willing to invest in him and he may be the right person to give back in a more visible role. He’s already a top-line player with a good array of talent and possibilities in front of him.
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It wouldn’t be a role completely foreign to him either. He served as the captain of Team Canada at the World Juniors. While being a captain for a tournament isn’t always a significant sign compared to the NHL, it also is a pretty high badge of honor to be the leader of a team representing your entire country, regardless of what age group it is.
Schwartz would make a lot of sense as an alternate. If you name a long-term captain, why not have someone you intend to be a long-term member of the franchise as their partner-in-crime, so to speak. To know who your leadership group is going forward for the foreseeable future isn’t something to be easily tossed aside.
Vladimir Tarasenko
There is and clearly should be a push to get Vladimir Tarasenko in a bigger leadership role. There is even a possibility that he could be named the next captain of the team.
Although it seems unlikely that he would be made “the guy” at this point, if the team approached him about taking a leadership role and he was comfortable with it, then he should be the captain. It isn’t something that shouldn’t be considered.
The case against him being an captain or alternate seems to be largely language based. There is a perception that he doesn’t speak English very well. However, it seems he speaks fine when around his teammates. He just gets nervous speaking to the media for fear of saying the wrong thing.
If he is comfortable on the ice, then talking to the referees, which is one of the duties of either a captain or alternate, shouldn’t be that big a deal.
If Tarasenko is not the C, then an A still makes sense (assuming he is willing).
Whether he’s the visual leader of the team or not, the Blues are pretty much Tarasenko’s team going forward.
Management has seen to that and that’s how it should be anyway. He’s the most talented on the team and is going to be the man for the foreseeable future.
In terms of his selection, it all boils down to what he wants. The other players seem like they could be simply chosen and have to accept it. Tarasenko is a special case. If he honestly was not comfortable in a leadership role, as ceremonial as it may be, then he should not be made to.
However, Tarasenko is the most logical choice. He’s the biggest name on the team and the one the team is going to look to to produce from here on out.
Next: Blues Top 5 Captains Of All Time
All of the choices have their benefits and drawbacks. Who do you want to see most wear the “A” on their chest? Is there a name outside the box or is it conventional thinking that suits this best? Let us know.