Who Should Wear The 'C' For The Philadelphia Flyers In 2022?

The Philadelphia Flyers are in a unique spot when it comes to choosing their next captain, after Claude Giroux was traded away in 2021/22, as they don't have many elite level, young NHL talents that are ready to take the job, and without a clear path to the playoffs this year, they may have to go for a veteran name. There are a few obvious choices, and while one of them is the clear favourite, with new coach John Tortorella coming in, there's no telling who he's going to favour.

Off the bat, Sean Couturier is the clear favourite, as he's been with the Flyers since they drafted him at #8 overall way back in 2011, and with 8-years left on his contract at 29-years of age, everything seems to be pointing to him becoming the next captain of the Philadelphia Flyers. The top line centre is clearly the leader of this team, and after three straight Team MVP awards to go along with 460 points at the NHL level, it's clear he's the best player on the team too.

Beyond Couturier, the team has several veteran options, but the most intriguing of all is Kevin Hayes, who stepped up his leadership in a massive way once Giroux was traded away to the Florida Panthers. Hayes is certainly a dark horse for captain, but with four seasons left on his Flyers contract, as well as consistently being one of Philly's best players over the past few years, he's certainly an option. On top of that, new coach Tortorella declared when he signed with the team that Hayes was one of the teams most important players, so while not likely, he's certainly an option. 

On top of that, you've got players like Cam Atkinson and Scott Laughton that would both be respected as captain, but ultimately, it comes down to when, not if Sean Couturier is named the next captain of the Flyers, because he's been there for so long, is consistently the teams best player and has 8 years left with the team (which, if played out would get him up to 19 years with the franchise). It's the most logical play, and sometimes, you just have to go with the easy, most logical decision. 

Photo Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports