Buffalo Sabres head coach Ted Nolan isn't going to take his time before naming a new team captain.
“I believe in doing things early," Nolan told the team's official website. "If you’re going to do it, do it quick. If you know basically know who the decision is then you try to do it as quick as you can, let it settle in and let the leaders lead.”
Former Sabres Thomas Vanek and Steve Ott shared the captain's duties last season.
Vanek was traded to the New York Islanders in October and was then dealt to the Montreal Canadiens at the trade deadline. He signed a three-year, $19.5-million deal with the Minnesota Wild on July 1.
Ott was traded to the St. Louis Blues along with goaltender Ryan Miller in February.
Candidates for the Sabres captaincy include a couple of former Montreal Canadiens: ex-captain Brian Gionta and Josh Gorges, who served as an alternate in Montreal.
Veteran forward Drew Stafford is also a candidate as the longest-tenured Sabres player.
"With the young group that we have, they’re very impressionable right now," Stafford said. "They’re trying to soak up as much as they can. To have veteran leadership like that around, it’s only going to help."
Gionta says leading is more than wearing a "C" on your jersey.
A lot is made of (being captain). A lot is kind of overhyped about it. There are a lot of guys in that room that lead, whether you have a letter on your chest or not. Everybody has a voice and everybody is part of it. That’s what makes good teams. Obviously it’s always an honor to have that one you. It’s something that’s pretty special in this League, but at the same time, there are a lot of guys that do things without letters.
Gorges was quick to praise Gionta for leading by example.
You look at him and he doesn’t have to say anything. He doesn’t have to be a rah-rah, in-your-face type of guy. But you watch what he does and you see how he’s had success. And you say, ‘Well, if he’s had success doing this then you know what, I’ll follow his lead and I’ll try to have the same success that he had.’
