OldTimeHockey said:
What difference does it make if Lupul wears an 'A' or a 'C'..or for that matter, any letter on his shirt. He can be a leader with or without it. What a silly discussion.
I don't think it would make a world of difference in terms of wins and losses but I wouldn't entirely dismiss the place the role has in terms of the tradition of the game and the way it thrusts someone, rightly or wrongly, into the spotlight. Likewise, and again I was making this statement strictly as a fan, I think it matters in a narrative sense when it comes to discussing the team. I think it represents an important role within this community that predates and will outlive any ownership group.
More than coaches or GMs or owners I tend to think of this team's eras as being defined by the Team's Captain. That's what that statement reflected. It wasn't intended as a quantitative statement on the value of the captaincy.