Buffalo Sabres Brian Gionta To Remain Captain For 2015-16

By Jacob D. Strozyk | Oct 4, 2015

One of the questions lingering over the Buffalo Sabres heads going into the regular season was: who is going to be captain? After a strong preseason showing, and having persevered as one of the strongest players on the team last season, Brian Gionta has been chosen by coach Dan Bylsma to continue his role as captain (per the report on the Buffalo Sabres Facebook).

Related – What We Learned From The Last Preseason Game

I’ll start this off by saying that I believe that Dan Bylsma has made the right choice for the captain of this team. Though some people may underestimate what it means to be wearing that letter “C” on a jersey, it has some actual meaning and significance. It’s not just some token of good play, but rather it is a symbol of the man that puts in the most effort, organizes and inspires his team, leads by example, and ultimately is the heart and soul of the players alongside him.

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Now, with that description, many would argue that the captaincy should belong to Zemgus Girgensons or Tyler Ennis. Though they both were viable candidates, I’m sure, Brian Gionta brings all of those qualities and adds in a lot more veteran experience. This is a man who has won a Stanley Cup, made it to the playoffs numerous times and succeeded, and has captained more than one team.

Gionta is the kind of player that will be the best role model for the young core that spans the Buffalo Sabres roster. With young super talents like Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart, and young future leaders like Ryan O’Reilly, Tyler Ennis, and Zemgus Girgensons, Brian Gionta is the man who has already seen it all and has only one goal left before he calls it a career; and that’s to win another Stanley Cup.

Though he may not be a part of the actual eventual Cup run that the Buffalo Sabres core will be on in a few years, Gionta will have played his part as Captain before it happens. He will have gotten to mentor some of the league’s best young talent and given them the tools to be successful NHL players and leaders.

Brian Gionta saw some key chemistry with the likes of Jack Eichel during the preseason. This kind of chemistry certainly went noticed by coach Bylsma, and may lead to some future line combination involving the two of them. Gionta, as the current captain would be grooming the (assumed to be) eventual captain of the Buffalo Sabres and would be playing a key role in turning Eichel into an even more elite player than he already is.

I for one completely agree with the captaincy choice made by Dan Bylsma. Gionta is the right man for the job and he will only push his players to play harder and eventually win more games.

What do you all think about this? Is Gionta the right man? If not, who do you think would have been a better option for captain?

Next: How Will The Sabres Goaltending Fare?

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