It's not going to be easy for Mike Sullivan and his boss Chris Drury. Picking a new captain for their Blueshirts, that is.
The Maven already put in his two cents worth, voting for Adam Fox but my Savvy Rangers Roundtable already is vetoing my choice.
Honored Roundtabler Jess Rubenstein not only rejects Fox for the captaincy but doesn't even want to give him one of the two available "As" for the Alternate Captaincy.
The Rangers' Future Captain, Mike Sullivan's Arrival, And NHL Playoff News
<b>1.</b> An impressive aspect of NHL parity is the unparalleled, melodramatic playoff games. Lots of pulsating adventures are part of it, along with super-intense competition.
Instead, he's got his own trio with the Right Honorable Vincent Trocheck his choice as Top Banana in the bunch.
"For starters," says Rubenstein, "Trocheck does everything and that extends to organizing team gatherings, talking to the media and protecting teammates.
"I want J.T. Miller as the first alternate. He's had captain experience elsewhere and already does things a leader should do. Then, I'd round it out by giving the other A to Will Cuylle as a 'Captain In Training.'"
According to Jess, Trocheck already has taken Cuylle under his wing and has been mentoring the kid.
Fair enough but why no C for the most Ranger of all the Blueshirts, Adam Fox?
The NO-FOX camp believes that the defenseman already has enough on his plate; and that starts with re-finding the game that once produced a Norris Trophy. And it wouldn't hurt if Foxy fixed the once-vaunted power play so that it works.
Another knock on Adam is that his game is too bland and his personality lacks the pizazz to goad his teammates into positive action.
History has shown that over the decades the Blueshirts have been blessed with inspirational captains such as Bill Cook, right wing leader of the 1928 and 1933 Cup winners as well as Art Coulter, Hall of Fame defenseman on the 1940 winners,.
Defenseman Allan Stanley was being groomed fin 1948 or the leadership role but Rangers fans disagreed and forced management to deal him to the Black Hawks. (Stanley is in the Hall of Fame.)
Ditto for Harry Howell, a Hall of Famer who simply couldn't handle being the C-Man. Bottom Line. Management's problem – there's no Mark Messier!