The Flames don’t need to name a new captain right away

The last (and only) time the Flames have gone a season without a captain was 1990-91. Since Joe Nieuwendyk assumed the role the following year, Calgary has had a serving captain every season for the last three decades. With the departure of Mark Giordano, though, the position is vacant ahead of the 2021-22 campaign, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. At least on the outside, it seems perfectly reasonable to wait a little before naming Giordano’s replacement.

The last time Calgary was captain-less for any stretch of time was the spring of 2013 following Jarome Iginla’s trade to Pittsburgh. A few months later, Giordano began his run of eight years wearing the ‘C’. Even back then it was a…