from Jack Todd at the Montreal Gazette,

Don’t get me wrong: I agree with (Jacques) Demers. In the room and on the ice, Markov might be the best choice to replace Brian Gionta as captain. He has the talent, the respect, the calm demeanor, the experience and that mysterious quality of leadership the position demands.

Markov would be (with his buddy, Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals) one of only two Russian captains in the NHL. I just think he’s too smart to take the job....

And if the ‘C’ doesn’t go to Markov, where does it go? The Canadiens are fortunate to have several potentially good possibilities, even with Gionta and Josh Gorges in Buffalo.

Assuming that Markov wants no part of the job, the club could do worse than to pin the letter on the broad chest of Brandon Prust, as natural a leader as you can find. If he can stay healthy and contribute as he did during his first campaign with the Canadiens, Prust would make an excellent captain.

Marc Bergevin and Michel Therrien also have about 72 million reasons to make P.K. Subban captain – and as many reasons not to make him captain, if you believe that the extra duties constitute an unwelcome distraction.

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