Who Are John Tortorella's Favourites to Wear The C in The Future?

FAVORITES:

Scott Laughton:

As stated above, as of this writing, Laughton is the only player on the team who current wears a letter "A" on his jersey. It can also be stated from media reports, he has slowly started to assert dialogue with Tortorella at practices and morning skates that seem to suggest a "leader/captain and coach" type of relationship, despite the player only having an "A" on his jersey and the coach making it clear he has no intentions of naming a captain for this season. But given the clear dynamics of the situation, I think it can be surmised that barring some type of trade, or another unforeseen circumstance, Laughton is currently the coaches favorite to wear the "C" when he deems the time right.

Travis Konecny:

Not a player many have in the leadership group, let alone in the "C" wearing group, but the coach has made it clear with words and with actions that he includes "TK" to be part of this teams leadership group, even though the player does not currently possess a letter on his jersey. While it's highly unlikely he jumps over Laughton in the "pecking order" to wear the "C", unless an unforeseen circumstance should arise in the future, it does seem highly likely we will see the forward with at least an "A" sometime in the future.

Kevin Hayes:

Tortorella told Hayes right off the bat in the off-season and at the start of training camp that he'd be one of the guys he'd be holding most accountable, indicating the coach holds the forward in high regard and considers him a part of the leadership group, even if he opted against giving him a letter on his jersey to start the season. Could Hayes leapfrog over TK and Laughton for the "C"? It doesn't seem likely, but stranger things have happened. I'd say the chances of his jersey being adorned with an "A" in the future, barring something unforeseen, are definitely a high possibility, though.

POSSIBILITIES:

Cam Atkinson:

One of the guys who has played under Tortorella before, knows and understand his system - probably better than anyone else in the locker room, has his respect, and would likely be a "for sure shoe in" for a letter on his jersey, if only he were healthy. Of all the "possibilities" I'd say Atkinson is probably the only one I could actually see jumping over Hayes and TK, and possibly even Laughton *IF* he were healthy. But there in-lies the problem: health. He missed nearly all of training camp, didn't play even one minute of pre-season and hasn't yet suited up for a game this season due to an upper-body injury, and while he did join his teammates yesterday for the morning skate, there's still no timeline for his return, so as such, until he returns to full health and proves he can stay there, he falls out of the top "most likely" category for me. That said, never say never. A return to full health and Atkinson-like play could easily leapfrog him over TK and Hayes, and maybe even Laughton, in the coaches eyes.

Ivan Provorov:

Provorov has worn an "A" in the previous three seasons, and in all three he struggled mightily. Chances are it's not necessarily due to wearing a letter, but the idea cannot be ignored considering how much improvement he's had since having the letter removed from his chest. Chances are far more likely his partner is a huge reason for his poor play, but the weight of a letter cannot be totally ruled out. Some players just perform better without the mental weight of the letter on their jerseys, and while we don't know for sure that Provorov falls into that category, we also don't know that he doesn't, either. While I think Provorov is still very much considered part of the "leadership group" I think the coaching staff may opt to keep him as a "reserve" for a letter on his jersey. Meaning we'll only see him with a letter due to others injury, a trade, or some other unforeseen circumstance.

Tony DeAngelo:

The highly controversial newest Flyers defenseman has helped improve the overall defense as well as Provorov's play. I will openly admit I'm not a fan of his. I don't like the person he has been portrayed to be in the media, and while that may not be the best way to judge a guy, unless we meet players on "personal" levels, it's the only thing we have to go off of. That said, I will also not use the fact I dislike him personally to outright ignore the fact he has had a huge hand in helping the defense improve thus far this season. It's also highly obvious by his deployment in games as well as his ice time in games so far that the coaching staff considers him a member of the leadership group. Does that mean he'll wear an "A" in the future? Maybe. If an injury or other scenario pops up that knocks a captain out of the lineup, it's possible, but otherwise, I think he stays in the "reserve" group along side his defense partner.

POSSIBLE BUT UNLIKELY:

Sean Couturier:

The long-time Flyers forward has worn a letter for many years for the team, and rightfully so. If he were healthy, he'd likely be in my "most likely" category. Heck, it's even possible he, like Laughton, would already have a letter. But with his injury, and the uncertainty surrounding his future after yet another back surgery, he can't be listed in the 'most likely' category, so like Atkinson he drops down the ranking. If he ever returns to full health and can get himself back into game shape and play even close to the way we've grown accustomed to seeing, he very well could leapfrog his way up the list. But for now, given all the uncertainty, he must be listed among the 'unlikely' group.

Travis Sanheim:

While I do believe he's seen as a part of the leadership group and I, personally, could see him wearing a letter in the future, I'm not sure if the coaches do. Not because he's not deserving, but more so because they want him to focus on his game and not worry about being an "on-ice" leader. It's certainly possible we see him with a letter in the future, but I'm just not sure how likely.

James van Riemsdyk:

While JvR is very much a part of the leadership group, as is obvious by his deployment in games before his injury, I think it's highly unlikely he'll ever wear a letter under Tortorella. Could it happen if one or more of the "most likely" players are out injured or a trade occurs? Sure. And with this team, that is a very likely scenario. But Unless that were to happen I don't see him wearing a letter.

Justin Braun:

While I'd agree he's in the leadership group, I'd also say it's to a much lesser extent and likely only due to his career length and hockey experience. Chances of him ever wearing a letter for this team at this point in his career are pretty slim. If they ever gave him an "A" it would likely be due to the fact there were a lot of injuries, and he's just the most qualified candidate available.

We can all speculate on who we *think* should be captain, or who is "most likely" to be given a letter in the future, but the only one with the true power to make it happen is Tortorella, and he's made it clear he's not naming a captain anytime in the near future. So until he finally does, we can all continue to have fun speculating and making up our own fun little lists. After all, we need something fun to help get us through this long, roller coaster ride of a season.