Why Hejduk gave up the 'C'
McGrady is still looking for a job, and has interviewed with the Charlotte Bobcats already this offseason. Reports indicate that he is also being considered by the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks, though it’s questionable whether either team would give him the guaranteed money he’s looking for.
“Kyle is an alpha-dog, he is a leader,” Casey said. “He plays like a pit bull. He is a different type of player than Jose, a different type of point guard and we need that type of toughness, that approach that he brings to the table.”ghfj5t6u565
It remains to be seen how the bench tandem of Ronny Turiaf and Ryan Hollins will hold up and perform through the season. Neither are necessarily “high-impact” players but Turiaf brings a tremendous presence to the locker room. Hollins is athletic and willing.
Earlier this week, a torch of sorts was passed from veteran to young star. Gabriel Landeskog, the reigning Calder Trophy winner as NHL rookie of the year, was given his captain's jersey by veteran Milan Hejduk, who voluntarily relinquished the role. Colorado coach Joe Sacco made the move -- earmarking the 19-year-old Landeskog as the youngest captain in NHL history. ... "(The captain) should be somebody with a significant role on the team, probably on the top two lines, which I was not last year," said Hejduk, who is nine regular-season games shy of 1,000 and 29 goals short of 400. "It kind of feels weird when you're playing on the third and fourth lines and being captain. It didn't feel right."