Did the Maple Leafs hint at their next captain in the final game of the preseason?

The 2019 - 2020 National Hockey League regular season is only just a few short days away and, although every single fan base around the league is obviously extremely excited, no fan base may be more pumped for the start of that season than the fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

Not only is Toronto a die hard hockey market, arguably the most intense market in any of the North American pro sports leagues, but the Maple Leafs' fan base has an extra reason to be excited for the start of this particular season. You see for some time now, since the departure of much-maligned defenseman Dion Phaneuf in fact, the Maple Leafs have operated without a captain on the ice. Initially this seemed to be more a product of their young team than anything else, but even as their young players have continued to mature general manager Kyle Dubas and head coach Mike Babcock never made the decision to give anyone in the organization the coveted "C" on their jersey. That is at least until now.

This time around the Toronto Maple Leafs have made it crystal clear that they intend to name a new captain for this season and although the odds on favorite is likely forward Auston Matthews, the organization's top star, there are plenty of candidates on the roster who would be perfectly legitimate picks. Would it really come as a shock to anyone if the Maple Leafs made star forward John Tavares, former captain of the New York Islanders, the next captain of the Maple Leafs? What if long-time Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly, a beloved figure in both the locker room and the Toronto community, was given the "C" would anyone really complain?

All of the questions now of course are surrounding who will be named the captain and although the Maple Leafs have dropped absolutely no hints during training camp about who it might be in the end, their final game of the preseason may have provided our very first clue. For the final game of the preseason the Maple Leafs gave three of the players on their roster an "A," and all 3 of the players who were given the letter are players you would consider leadership type guys. One was given to the aforementioned John Tavares, one was given to the aforementioned Morgan Rielly, and one was given to recently acquired Maple Leafs defenseman Jake Muzzin. It was a sign that the Maple Leafs' believe in the leadership quality of all 3 men, and it may be a hint as to where the Leafs are going with the "C."

Now I must admit that the likelihood of Muzzin being named captain while on an expiring contract seems extremely likely, but that being said I would be surprised if he played a leadership role by wearing an "A" all season long this time around. Muzzin is experienced, he's though, and has been a strong presence on the ice for Toronto since joining the organization. There was another name that stood out though in the final game of the preseason, not due to its inclusion on this list, but due to the fact that he was seemingly excluded from the leadership group.

There was no "A" on the chest of the aforementioned Matthews on Saturday night and you have to wonder if the Leafs view him as a potential leader. It may seem like a relatively minor thing, but Matthews made headlines earlier this week for all the wrong reasons when it was revealed that the Leafs' star had been charged with disorderly conduct. The incident was certainly not a major one and it is something that everyone involved will move past rather quickly I'm sure, but it may have been enough of a black mark to disqualify Matthews from the race for the Leafs captaincy. 

Of course it has to be said that is merely speculation at this time, the Leafs after all could pull a swerve and name Matthews captain of the team later today. That being said, don't be surprised if he gets looked over and someone like Riley or Tavares end up claiming the "C" on their sweater as the next captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Who do you think will be the next captain of the Leafs? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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