As the new season quickly approaches, decisions about designated team leaders will be made and announced. The Dallas Stars have some decisions to make of their own.
The Dallas Stars are in need of a new alternate captains for the 2017-18 season. With the departure of Patrick Sharp to free agency, Dallas can give the honor of the “A” to a different player.
Here are the best options at their disposal.
Tyler Seguin
As half of the Stars’ dynamic duo, it only makes sense to consider Tyler Seguin for the alternate captain position. He’s grown into one of the best forwards in the league over the last few seasons in Dallas and his maturity has followed suit.
Dallas Stars
He puts a lot of pressure on himself to constantly improve, but still manages to have good performances even when not playing his best.
The real question is whether or not the Stars want to have the captain and one of the alternates on the same line, being that No. 14 and No. 91 are an almost certain pairing on the first line.
John Klingberg
If Dallas is wanting to go in a different direction with leadership, and have more positions represented, John Klingberg makes perfect sense. He’s the defender the team is basing its defense around and with that comes a natural sense of leadership.
No. 3 also has the respect and talent to back it up. While last season was underwhelming for the 25-year-old, his future still looks undeniably bright. That’s something the Stars will definitely want in their next alternate.
Plus, Klingberg has the advantage of being an up-and-coming player in the league. He has three seasons in the NHL under his belt, with many more to come. He’s still establishing himself in the league, but has also reached a point in which he’s getting more comfortable.
Identifying his accomplishments in his career thus far with the title of alternate captain may just be the best thing for him.
Other options
Of course, the Stars could stick with just Jason Spezza as the sole alternate captain. While they typically have two skaters sporting the “A” each season, it’s entirely possible that they keep things as-is and leave No. 14 and No. 90 as the duo of leaders on the team.
That certainly doesn’t discount the leadership of other players. Really, the Stars are lucky to have successful players at every position and it seems as if teammates speak up when they deem it necessary. If they do decide to go another way with the other A, Dallas might select a new member such as Martin Hanzal (who captained the Arizona Coyotes for a few years) or even Marc Methot (who has been an alternate in his career).
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Still, it would be nice for Dallas to recognize another player for his hard work and dedication to the team. If that’s the route they opt to take, don’t be surprised if Seguin or Klingberg end up being the man with the new letter on his jersey.