27-year-old forward talks leadership, implies possible captaincy with new team!

Isn't it a bit early for him to say that, considering he has yet to play a game with them?

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 6 years ago
27-year-old forward talks leadership, implies possible captaincy with new team!
Keystone Press Agency

27-year-old forward Derek Stepan has been part of the Arizona Coyotes for less than two months, but his intentions are clear: he wants to have a direct impact with his new team. General manager John Chayka paid a steep price to acquire him and goaltender Antti Raanta from the New York Rangers, so the centerman definitely wants to contribute as much as he can on every level.

In an interview with NHL.com, Stepan was adamant: he wants have a leadership role with his new organization right off the bat:


"I still feel like a young guy. But now I look at the lineup and I think there's only going to be one guy that's older than me up front (forward Jamie McGinn, 28), and maybe two or three guys on the back end (defensemen Zbynek Michalek, 34; Alex Goligoski, 32; Niklas Hjalmarsson, 30). It's definitely a new experience, but something that certainly doesn't worry me. I've been in a leadership role in New York and I'll just transfer into a new one in Arizona. I couldn't be more excited."

In 81 games with the Rangers last season, Stepan produced 17 goals and 55 points, just two off his career high of 57. In 515 career NHL game, the former second-round pick scored 128 goals and added 232 assists for 360 points.

The Coyotes had to let the 2017 7th overall pick and young defenseman Anthony DeAngelo go in order to acquire both Stepan and Raanta.

Source: NHL.com