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The Toronto Maple Leafs will reportedly have a new captain in the 2024/25 season.
TSN’s Darren Dreger and Chris Johnston reported Monday that the Eastern Conference team is expected to name center Auston Matthews as its next captain on Wednesday. John Tavares has served as captain so far, but Toronto has apparently decided to go in a different direction for the upcoming season.
“This is part of Matthews’ development as a leader and current Maple Leafs captain John Tavares fully supports the change,” Dreger wrote. “Tavares has been heavily involved in the process along with GM Brad Treliving.”
Johnston noted that Toronto also had “extensive internal discussions” after being eliminated from the playoffs last season and the captaincy change was part of those discussions.
It can hardly be denied that Matthews is now the face of the franchise.
The 26-year-old’s resume includes a Calder Memorial Trophy (Rookie of the Year), three Maurice Richard Trophies (leading scorer), the 2021-22 Hart Memorial Trophy as league MVP and five All-Star nominations.
He’s coming off an incredible season in which he led the league in goals (69) and scored 107 points and had a plus-minus rating of plus-31.
The fact that Tavares, 33, was reportedly involved in the decision to make Matthews captain suggests that it is less about disappointment with Tavares himself and more about the team believing it is time for the younger player to take on more responsibility and develop from one of the league’s best playmakers into the franchise’s leader.
The Maple Leafs are also aiming for maximum success in the postseason and hope that this step can inspire them.
They have reached the postseason in eight consecutive seasons, but failed to advance past the second round each time. In fact, they have only advanced past the first round once during that span, in 2023, when they defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning and then lost to the Florida Panthers.
It will be up to Matthews to captain the team and get to the other playoff participants.
