John Tavares has been the captain of the Leafs since the 2019 season began, which was only his second year with the team. He has played in a total of 1,109 games in his career, picking up 1,040 points.
Auston Matthews was initially supposed to be the captain of the Maple Leafs back in 2019 but he was dealing with some personal issues and entangled in a legal matter, so the team felt it was best not to give him the C in order to avoid a PR nightmare. Now that things are long gone, Matthews is ready for this new challenge, which is why he has taken over the C from John Tavares. The team needs a new direction and they're hoping a new captain can be something to help them get over a decade long playoff hump.