Regarding Tkachuk: you don't have to be the captain to be a vocal leader. Also, the captain has to keep it somewhat on the straight and narrow, be political. Having a couple other guys to do the 'bad cop' side of things can be very helpful.
Regarding Smith: I can't understand why there is an issue with his comments... the team was struggling while he was hurt, and he was desperate to come back and make a difference. Didn't work out, but it wasn't from a lack of desire to be a difference maker.
Re concussions: how does announcing injuries help the player at all? It is just fans wanting to know. Not announcing them can be beneficial to the player, so it's a pretty easy decision. Hoping that other players won't target the player is just ignoring human nature, and that is not a good way to make policy.
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