NHL Insider reveals the next captain of the Chicago Blackhawks
Photo credit: NHLPA
The next Captain for the Chicago Blackhawks should be the one to lead it into the next era correct? Or Should the next Blackhawks Captain be a bridge to the future?
Depending upon your belief, NHL Insider Mario Tirabassi has offered his opinion on the team's next leader.
Of course, we could already say that Nick Foligno is already the defacto Captain of the Blackhawks. His handling of Connor Bedard's arrival in the NHL, proving to be a mentor to younger players, and calling them out when it needs to happen, is something he practices.
It would make sense for Foligno to be the bridge to the future, as the Blackhawks in the wings like Landon Slaggert, Frank Nazar, Artyom Levshunov, and Oliver Moore haven't arrived.
No Blackhawks player wore a "C" on their sweater last season after longtime captain Jonathan Toews left. The team had alternates, including Foligno, a former captain in Columbus. He was informally anointed de facto captain in Chicago for his vocal and demonstrative leadership.
The fully rebuilt Blackhawks haven't taken shape, as of course building through free agency is a great way to get talent, but if we reference the previous Blackhawks dynasty and the Tampa Bay Lightning dynasty, they were teams who built through the draft, and developed talent in house.
He has already shown his leadership capabilities through vocal and demonstrative action and has held leadership positions in Columbus and Boston.
It would only make sense he takes the helm short-term, as his contract runs through 2025-2026 with a $4.5 Million dollar cap hit.
Should the Blackhawks decide to extend Foligno, who is a Swiss army knife on ice, he could slide back into an Alternate Captain role, once Bedard is given the "C" after the fact.
Source: The Hockey News
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| POLL | ||
AOUT 10 | 71 ANSWERS NHL Insider reveals the next captain of the Chicago Blackhawks Who should be the next Blackhawks Captain? | ||
| Connor Bedard | 31 | 43.7 % |
| Nick Foligno | 40 | 56.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
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