Who Gets The Vacated "C"?

With all the Kovy trade rumors swirling about the NHL like this season's version of the 1930 disaster dust bowl I figured a little rumination on the after effects of who should be given the C when Kovy departs.

Notice I didn't say "IF", I'm pretty sure that Don and Kovy have reached an impasse. The fact is that it's now all about term and money which means we're not offering him enough or we're offering him what he wants but not for long enough. My personal belief is that it's a mixture of the Atlanta Thrashers not valuing him enough and Jay Grossman over valuing his client.

I've posted before that Kovy is not deserving of a bigger or better contract than his contemporaries and fellow countrymen Alex Ovechkin or Malkin. Quite simply they are better players look at their numbers and give me a valid argument why they are not if you can.

So with that said, Kovy is history. Where to? nobody knows yet and anybodies guess is merely that..a guess. With his leaving, though, will be a hole in on ice leadership (sorta) and the question I'm posing for this post is who should fill it?

There are several players that spring to mind that I think would be qualified, either with their performance this season, or their tenure in the NHL or with this club.

Pavel Kubina - Pavel has provided solid blue line leadership for this team this season and statistically is among the leaders on this team for defensive responsibility, something that has been sorely lacking. He has been in the league for years and has won a Stanley Cup. When he talks, I'm sure people are listening.

Nik Antropov - Just like fellow newcomer Pavel Kubina, Antropov has proven to be not only a solid 1st line center but the most solidly dependable and responsible forward we have when it comes to defense. He leads the team in the +/-  catagory with Pavel Kubina right behind him. He's had years in the NHL and has a solid leadership personality. He would be a good fit for the job and with 3 more season remaining on his contract could possibly lead the team for some time to come and provide stability as the captain. A thing that the Thrashers have yet to experience.

Marty Reasoner - Though Marty's numbers aren't as strong as the two listed above he's a strong personality already in the dressing room and he's a respected voice. Marty's strong work ethic and experience in the league would be considered to be in line for this type of position.

There are several other outside possibilities for candidates though these I don't consider to have strong bids for a job like this.

Slava Kozlov - Slava is a very veteran presence and his work ethic is unquestioned. As a player there is nobody in that room that doesn't respect the years of service to the Thrashers and the NHL. He has won the Stanley Cup and he's a total professional. He's also at the end of his contract, 37 years old and the chances that the Thrashers bring him back are slim to none..and slim left town already. Slava also is not the most forceful personality and therefore I don't think the job would be a good fit.

Toby Enstrom - The young Swede has become an anchor on the Thrasher blue line and is an assistant captain. He's actually the longest serving active defenseman for the Thrashers right now. He's soft spoken and still relatively young. I just don't think he'd be a good fit.


In the end my personal vote would be for Antropov. I think that his strong personality and veteran presence coupled with his time remaining in Atlanta will give the Thrashers some stability. He's played for years in Toronto and understands accountability to the fans and the media as well as to the team. Antropov's leadership and example of strong 2 way hockey may very well be the type of thing this team needs to take it to another level.

What do you think? Who do you think should be the next Thrasher captain?