3 candidates to be assistant captains for the Buffalo Sabres
After trading away Kyle Okposo to the Florida Panthers, the Buffalo Sabres have no one as the captain. While there are a couple of players wearing the A, it got me thinking about next season and beyond. A few weeks ago, I did an article about who should be the next captain.
In this article, I'm going to do the same thing but this time, it's going to be alternate captains. Let's just say the Sabres name a captain. Obviously, when you have a captain, you have two assistant or alternate captains.
Hypothetically speaking, I'm going to have Rasmus Dahlin as the next captain of the Buffalo Sabres. The only reason why I'm excluding Dahlin from this list is because no matter what direction management goes, Dahlin is going to have a letter on his uniform. Whether it's a C or A, he's going to be some sort of captaincy.
There are a few candidates but here are three players who could be assistant captains.
1. Alex Tuch
The first candidate is Alex Tuch. Why do I think Tuch should be an alternate captain? It's because he bleeds blue and gold. Ever since coming to Buffalo, Tuch has been a fan favorite. The Syracuse native was a Sabres fan growing up and while I'm not using that as a reason, it would be cool to see him getting a letter on his jersey.
Alex cares so much for the Sabres and the city of Buffalo. He's embraced the community and wants to help turn things around. Tuch won't do it a lot but now and then, he'll drop the gloves for defending a teammate when someone gets hit or in the middle of a scrum.
If he doesn't get the C, I think Alex is highly deserving of the A.
2. Dylan Cozens
My second candidate is Dylan Cozens. While he is known to be a skilled player, Dylan has shown a mean side to his game. If you have watched a Sabres game, you'll see him get into a scrum or a fight. He'll even throw a hit as well.
Look, everyone considers the Sabres to be soft. While they have players who play physically, it's been a long time since we've seen Buffalo play a physical brand of hockey. Ever since he's been in the league, Dylan has shown that he isn't afraid of anyone and will stick up for his teammates if necessary.
Cozens has leadership qualities and in some postgame press conferences after losses, he is very honest in his answers, whether it involves himself or the team. Just like Tuch, I would not be surprised if Dylan has an A on his sweater.
3. Zemgus Girgensons
For my last candidate, it's Zemgus Girgensons. While he is currently one of the assistant captains, he is more than deserving of having a letter on his jersey as well. Girgensons has been with the Sabres for his entire career. From the good times and mostly the bad moments, he's been through it all with Buffalo.
He is the longest-tenured Sabre and while he is a depth player, there is no denying he is one of the hardest-working players on the roster. Girgensons is set to be a free agent after this season but let's pretend the Sabres do bring him back next season. I think it's safe to say that he will be one of the players with the A.
There is a route for Buffalo to go down where they can have three assistant captains and no captain. I don't see that happening but I think these three players should be considered as alternate captains for Buffalo next season and in the future.
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