This same issue has played out quietly in Colorado as Avalanche Captain Gabriel Landeskog has been out more than two years recovering from a lower body injury. The Colorado situation is more acute with respect to team performance, however. Unlike with the swaps you note that seemed to have little effect on team performance, the Avalanche have largely not had a captain on the ice or in the locker room for two seasons.
The disappointing outcomes from those two seasons have caused many fans and observers to question whether this absence for so long has had a negative impact on Colorado's performance during that span.
Landy's captaincy is not in question. Rather, many have wondered whether a temporary captain - Nathan MacKinnon comes to mind - would have helped alleviate team issues that naturally arose during those seasons. Reports of locker room discontent being addressed by veteran players instead of a Captain have further increased scrutiny during his absence.
The position of Captain is arguably more needed by the Avs given head coach Jared Bednar's quieter, non-confrontational approach to locker room issues. The good news is that Landeskog is due back very soon. It will be interesting to see if the Avalanche's performance improves as a result.
This same issue has played out quietly in Colorado as Avalanche Captain Gabriel Landeskog has been out more than two years recovering from a lower body injury. The Colorado situation is more acute with respect to team performance, however. Unlike with the swaps you note that seemed to have little effect on team performance, the Avalanche have largely not had a captain on the ice or in the locker room for two seasons.
The disappointing outcomes from those two seasons have caused many fans and observers to question whether this absence for so long has had a negative impact on Colorado's performance during that span.
Landy's captaincy is not in question. Rather, many have wondered whether a temporary captain - Nathan MacKinnon comes to mind - would have helped alleviate team issues that naturally arose during those seasons. Reports of locker room discontent being addressed by veteran players instead of a Captain have further increased scrutiny during his absence.
The position of Captain is arguably more needed by the Avs given head coach Jared Bednar's quieter, non-confrontational approach to locker room issues. The good news is that Landeskog is due back very soon. It will be interesting to see if the Avalanche's performance improves as a result.