Lets be clear that I’m in no rush to see Dave Andreychuk hang up his skates. #25 is still contributing at 40 years of age and is a vital piece of the puzzle here in Tampa…. Jay Feaster said that Andreychuk could very well play until he’s 50 with his attitude…
But when the boot falls….
When the final horn sounds…
When the tank is empty and there’s nothing left to do but hang’em up…
The torch must be passed to another key contributor. It’s got to be passed to someone who give it all on ice and is a leader in the locker room. Not someone overly outspoken or someone who tries to do pretty work out there. Someone with focus and determination each time he steps on ice…
The “C” has got to go to Mo’. The teams leadership ought to shift to Fredrik Modin.
Since being acquired four years ago from the Toronto Maple Leafs (in a fleecing that sent Cory Cross packing his bags to the great white north), Modin has been a consistent contributor to the Lightning on and off ice. It’s true that the man with the thunderous slap shot hasn’t been the most consistent scorer on the Lightning, having had only 2 fifty point seasons in his five years in Tampa Bay, but the fact is he works hard, plays hard and puts everything he’s got into his game.
Of course, not being able to watch Fredrik in the locker room to see exactly what goes on doesn’t give you the full story of how well Modin would be as a captain. I know that people would expect Vincent Lecavalier to take the ‘C’ in time, but with him performing well without it — probably the best thing in the world was him losing the ‘C’ and not having that additional burden on his young shoulders — it would be wise to let Vinny wait. He’s set for a long, illustrious career in the NHL and he’s only added to that during the NHL Semi-Finals.
Give Modin the chance to continue the Lightning’s even-keel leadership, and make sure he becomes Captain if and when Super Dave finally steps aside.
