Dallas Stars Media Day was this morning, and they were there. Some interesting answers came from Jim Nill and Glen Gulutzan this morning. One of the things Gulutzan mentioned was that he might change the leadership of the Stars next season, which would mean Jamie Benn would no longer be the captain. For this season, Gulutzan said he won't touch it, but don't rule out the possibility for next season and beyond. Here's why it might do the Stars some good by changing the captain.
Gulutzan was pretty adamant about having Benn be the captain for the upcoming season. He doesn't want to make many changes because the Stars are in contention for the Stanley Cup this season with the talent they have on their roster. However, Benn isn't getting much younger, and the team is. Take a look at some of the players who are under 25 on the roster. In a couple of seasons, 25 will be the average age of the team and possibly one of the youngest teams in the league.
I wouldn't be shocked if Mikko Rantanen is the captain of the Dallas Stars once Benn retires. He's got one of the longest contracts on the books right now and would be in the same age range as most of the team. It's not a knock against what Benn has done during his tenure as captain, but it might do the Stars some good to start preparing for hockey without Benn on the team since he's getting to that age of hanging up the skates.
Jamie Benn has done so much for the organization on and off the ice, and you can not thank him enough for all that he's done for the team. However, Gulutzan does have a point about a change in leadership and how Rantanen would be the heir to the throne. It might help the organization determine who will lead this organization into the future by making Rantanen the captain a couple of games during the preseason and seeing how he handles the role.
In conclusion, don't worry about Benn handing over the captaincy to someone else this season. Gulutzan wants to ease into being the head coach of the Stars again, and Benn helps him with that. Jamie also has the respect of the league as a captain. However, a new voice for the franchise would do the Stars some good once Benn retires. I hope Rantanen gets chosen as the new captain. He would be the perfect player to lead the Stars into the future.