Article: Should Jared Spurgeon Finish Out His Contract As the Wild's Captain?

[Emily Teachout]

View full article

[Citizen Strife]

Ek is next captain; it would make too much sense.

Edited July 24 by Citizen Strife

[TCMooch]

I don’t think it’s necessary to remove him as captain.

 And yes I think JEE makes sense as the successor after Spurge’s contract is up

[IllicitFive]

I don't think they need to remove the C from him, but could be worth is to see Ek talking to the refs and other team captain..... on second thought since he seems to have a face everyone wants to punch maybe that would be best, maybe get a few extra power plays during the season for getting hit during a chat.

If some of the younger D players look like they could jump in and push Spurge out of the lineup, sure, I can see trying to trade him out, but that is a tall ask.

[Up North Guy]

Meanwhile, captain Jared Spurgeon recuperates in the background, a space he seems perfectly content to occupy.

Maybe a little speculatively harsh. I do not believe Spurge is content whatsoever to sit and not be on the ice. The rest of the article is pretty spot-on and we all know his time will end sooner rather than later. 

[mnhockeyfan03]

If the Wild have any options for trading spurgeon for anything and not retaining any salary at any point during this year he should be traded.  Captain should be Ek.  

[1Brotherbill]

We really haven't heard all that much about his recovery.  Is it going well?

As far as him being the Captain.  We need a vocal Captain that will get players to do things they don't like doing.  We have a ton of role model players on the team.  

We need someone who will get in Kaprizov's face and tell him that he needs to score a goal right now. 

[Dango]

2 hours ago, 1Brotherbill said:

 

We need someone who will get in Kaprizov's face and tell him that he needs to score a goal right now. 

I dont think its possible for anyone to be harder on Kaprizov than he already is on himself  

[Protec]

It has to be a balanced team. Kaprizov might be our Barkov or McDavid, but to win you gotta be able to get results from anywhere. That's what MN should be trying to accomplish. 

[mnfaninnc]

I've long said that all letters should be turned in at the end of the season. The following season is another battle. Sure, the captains could remain the same, and I'd be ok with that, but it should certainly go under review at the end of each season.

As for Spurgeon, I believe it is time to give it up, and willingly. Pass the torch to a new generation and let them own the team. Ek is a fantastic choice. I could see Kaprizov getting asked to, but believe his English is not far enough along to accommodate that choice. Is Ek vocal enough?

Kaprizov and Foligno are the other As. Foligno is that loud voice that Spurgeon is not, and all 3 work in tandem together as team leadership. I've got no problem with either having letters. 

Who else could be a candidate? I'd think that Brock Faber eventually will. 

I have very tempered expectations from Spurgeon this year. It would not surprise me if he is LTIRed for most of the year and this is the end of the line for him. I don't think he'd retire, but we'd use the LTIR instead for 3 more years. He's skating pain free, but it's that 1st big hit from a large forward "testing" the success of those surgeries that worries me. And if I'm Spurgeon, I'd like to walk away from the game with a healthy life afterwards. You know who'd make a really good defensive coordinator? Spurgeon would. At 5'9" 165 he's got everyone's respect with the numbers he's put up. I would not be at all surprised if he can't go, that Guerin offers him a FO position and pays him the rest of his contract over time. That may be the best thing for him too.

Finally, nicely written article, Emily.

Edited July 26 by mnfaninnc