With Shea Weber out for the 2021-22 campaign (and possibly beyond), the Habs could name a temporary captain to their ranks. He may not wear the "C" on his jersey, but he would be the number one assistant, the primary of three assistants named for the 2021-22 season.
That said, potential candidates include Brendan Gallagher and Paul Byron, who already wear an "A" on their jerseys. We can also add Jeff Petry, who wears an "A" when Gally or Byron are out of the lineup. Petry is a quiet force and an excellent individual. While not as voluble and scary as Weber, he does have the aura to meet this challenge.
With Byron out for the start of the campaign, that leaves Gallagher and Petry as potential candidates. According to Stephane Waite, Gallagher certainly sets an example of a captain on the ice with his style of play... but in the dressing room, he might not be taken seriously enough. At least that's the opinion of Waite, who has spent a lot of time around CH players and the red-white locker room.
That leaves Petry, a more serious individual than Gallagher in the locker room, a "dad", a straight shooter, a 33-year-old veteran who has been in the league for over a decade. Petry was the captain of Michigan State University in the 2009-10 campaign. In my opinion, he is the number one candidate to fill the role of temporary captain with the Montreal Canadiens.
