I'm a Grand Funk Railroad fan, sue me.

Anyway, it's time to pass on the C. While Boone may or may not be back, next season, his diminished skills and unfortunate tendency to get injured means that the Jackets need a new captain. Boone can still be a leader, but a team captain should be reliably available for the majority, preferably 75+, games. In my mind, the candidates are Mathieu Olivier, Adam Fantilli and Zach Werenski. Let's check their resumes.

Mathieu Olivier is a heart and soul player in the Boone Jenner/Matt Calvert mould. Seen primarily as the team enforcer, he's very good defensively and getting better, is a reliable secondary scorer and is very vocal while on the bench. He's the prototypical team player.

Adam Fantilli has two seasons of playing all 82 games after injury ended his rookie season early. There's never been any questions about his offensive game and his defense and face off skills are steadily improving. He doesn't talk much during games, suggesting that he'd be more of a lead by example type. He's developed into a true #1C and solid all around player.

What can I say about Zach Werenski that hasn't been said a few hundred times already? He is, hands down, the Jackets best player. His offense has always been his strength, though it's exploded the last two seasons. But it's that his defense has developed to the "very good" level that stands out. He's fairly vocal on the bench and is increasingly a leader on the ice.

So, who should wear the C? Well, as much as I like how Fantilli is developing, he plays the, arguably, most difficult and demanding position in hockey. And the Jackets need him to develop from being good to being a superior #1C to have any chance at the Cup. Asking him to be team captain on top of that could be an unnecessary distraction. Maybe the A, but not the C.

Zach Werenski is already a team leader and is becoming the face of the team. There's no doubt that he could be an effective captain. But there's whispers that he is reluctant to be named the captain. My belief is that you don't offer a promotion to someone who's reluctant to fill the position.

So, my pick for team captain is Mathieu Olivier, the ultimate team player. He's already bearing the mantle of being a heart and soul player. Such players tend to be the best captains. 

Next time, a look at Kent Johnson.