BOSTON — For the rest of this season, the Bruins will have no captain. Until Charlie McAvoy comes back, they’ll have just David Pastrnak wearing a letter at all.
They’ll wait until next year when they have a new roster and possibly a new coach before determining what the next chapter of their leadership looks like after Brad Marchand was traded on Friday.
But when they do, they’ll have some interesting choices to make.
Below are some of the candidates to be the next captain and alternate captain:
David Pastrnak —It’s a small sample obviously, but since the trade, Pastrnak has made the outward effort to assume a larger portion of leadership. He’s the Bruins’ best player and certainly the most famous and recognizable member of the team.
Charlie McAvoy — McAvoy has made no secret that being a good leader is something he cares about and aspires to.
When Bergeron retired, the Bruins made him a video from his former teammates. While most of those players used their recorded messages to thank Bergeron, McAvoy made a promise.
“What you’ve built here is special,” he said. “I promise I’ll do everything I can to take good care of it.”
It wasn’t just a throw-away line. McAvoy takes honoring that legacy seriously.
“I’ve learned a lot from those guys, things I’ve tried to get better at and sort of embody,” McAvoy said last year. “It’s always a work in progress, but I definitely feel like I can lead this team well.”
Nobody — It would be surprising, but it wouldn’t be impossible for the Bruins to either decide that nobody is ready or that they didn’t want to pick between McAvoy and Pastrnak. If so, they’ll go with three guys each wearing an “A” next year, too.
Pastrnak & McAvoy — NHL rules only allow for one captain at a time. However, the Carolina Hurricanes in 2017 had one player wear the “C” at home and another on the road. The Bruins actually did this from 1985 to 1988 when Ray Bourque was the road captain and Rick Middleton wore the “C” at home.
If the Bruins wanted both players to raise their leadership level, this is possible, but pretty unlikely.
Brad Marchand — He didn’t rule out a return and while it’s unlikely, it’s not impossible. Other than Pastrnak or McAvoy, he’s the only other person that could realistically end up in the role.
Alternate Captain
If Marchand doesn’t come back, it’s a safe assumption that McAvoy and Pastrnak will wear letters. Who will join them?
Hampus Lindholm — Lindholm is a logical choice. Assuming he comes back at full strength, he’s one of the team’s best and most experienced players and will play a ton of minutes. He wore an “A” briefly when he played for the Ducks.
Elias Lindholm — Players often say it’s tougher to lead when they’re struggling and that could be true in Lindholm’s case. But while fans have been frustrated with him, he’s respected in the locker room. He wore an ‘A” in Calgary.
Pavel Zacha —Zacha quietly has become of the Bruins’ best two-way players. He’s a good penalty killer and plays on the power play. He’s quiet, which doesn’t always benefit a leader, but he’s a respected teammate.
Morgan Geekie or Nikita Zadorov — Both are longshots, but the Bruins indicated a desire to stay in the Geekie business after not trading him at the deadline.
Zadorov will be here a while too. He has a big personality and talked about wanting to lead after Tuesday’s win. If either guys uses this as an opportunity to establish themself, it’s possible.
Somebody who isn’t here yet — If the Bruins were to add an older player to give them some veteran experience they don’t currently have, it wouldn’t be unheard of for that player to get the A.
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