Buffalo Sabres: Why Zemgus Girgensons deserves to be the captain

For the Buffalo Sabres, Kyle Okposo is most likely going to wear the C next season. But Zemgus Girgensons should also warrant consideration. 

Before I go any further, I do want to stress that Buffalo Sabres winger Kyle Okposo deserves to be the captain of this team – for about half the season. However, Paul Hamilton of WGRZ brought up a compelling argument regarding support for Zemgus Girgensons to wear the C for the second half.

Now, this is an unconventional approach, and there is a chance Girgensons can be traded before the deadline in 2022-23. So if that’s the case, then this article will be irrelevant by then. Anyway, let’s assume for a second that both Okposo and Girgensons remain with the Sabres throughout the season.

In this case, head coach Don Granato would do the same exact thing in 2022-23 that he did in 2021-22: He named the duo co-captains, but if you remember, neither wore the C. Hamilton’s proposal for this season makes sense because of his argument that for the year, team captaincy should only go to the older players.

Paul Hamilton is correct in proposing that the younger players on the Buffalo Sabres are not ready for team captaincy

In my earlier articles, I projected the likes of Alex Tuch and Rasmus Dahlin to get the A’s, with Girgensons on the outside and looking in. Now that we are in August, my take has changed significantly. Instead, I’d rather see the three oldest skaters in Okposo, Girgensons, and Jeff Skinner wear the C’s and the A’s.

Why? They say those who don’t learn from their history are doomed to repeat it. Well, 21-year-old Jack Eichel wore the A in 2017-18. Just a year later, he was given the C. That move, in hindsight, turned out to be one of the biggest fiascos in Buffalo Sabres history.

And with the team having shown growth last season and expected to grow even more in 2022-23, players like Dahlin, Dylan Cozens, or even Alex Tuch don’t need that responsibility just yet, though you can make a compelling case for Tuch.

Cozens is a natural leader who will at least snag an A sometime down the road. Tuch will end up with the C. But for 2022-23, let your older players take charge of what remains one of the NHL’s youngest teams.

Okposo and Girgensons did a fine job last season as co-captains. Which is why the latter deserves the C as much as the former. So, go ahead and elect Okposo to be the captain this season. But head coach Don Granato also needs to include Girgensons in that conversation and give the longest-tenured Buffalo Sabre the C at some point.

Article Source: Hamilton Take2: Sabres leadership taking shape by Paul Hamilton