Captain Kirk it Won't Be

If Adam Foote retires from hockey this offseason as it appears may be the case, who will become the next captain of the Colorado Avalanche?  This question has been asked many times over recent months, but who will fill that role next season should it come to that?  One thing will be for sure, it won't be "Captain (Shatten)Kirk" as he was traded away and wouldn't have been ready to be a captain this coming year anyway.  Here are my thoughts on the possible captains however.

Paul Stastny - Already a young leader of the team and a core piece of the team, he is currently an alternate captain already.  He works hard and fits in well with the youth of the team and has a few years of experience under his belt.  He would likely be my first choice.

Milan Hejduk - One of the longest tenured Avs he has been with the team his entire career and will likely finish with the team as well.  He is a class guy and is good in all areas of the ice, but while he has been assistant captain for some time and has the respect of everyone around the league, he may be best suited as an assistant.  No one cares more though and that should count for quite a bit despite being a less vocal guy.

J-M Liles - Also one of the longer serving Avs and also an alternate captain in recent times, he also could be considered.  However he has been streaky at times in production, but never in effort, and his name always comes up in trade rumors, not qualities you'd generally want in your captain.

Matt Duchene - Young but talented this kid could have an outside shot at captain.  He has had his slumps along with the team but during this slump he has never quit working and has been one of the best Avalanche players during that time.  He is well liked it appears and he puts it all out there on the ice, always working and always striving to improve.  These are qualities you want in your captain, especially during hard times.

Ryan O'Reilly - Also young but not quite as talented as Duchene but he could also be considered.  I'd be hard pressed to believe anyone works harder during the game or between them that O'Reilly.  He never gives up on the play and works to improve himself.  During this recent slump by the team he continues to push and of late has improved his offensive game to go with a well defined defensive game as well.

Eric Johnson - New to the team but he has the attitude to be a leader.  With all the recent injuries he has also worn the 'A' of late.  As a guy that is going to be relied upon as a #1 defender he will be on the ice a lot and will be looked upon to lead the defense and bring everything to the table that made him a first overall pick his draft year.

So who would I go to?  I would make Stastny the captain and Hejduk an assistant.  Then I would let Liles, Duchene, and the rest play out the preseason for the other 'A'.  Who it will actually end up being we won't see until next season, and that's if Foote does retire, but there are certainly candidates for the job there.