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BUFFALO — Auston Matthews claimed to have never thought about it and Mike Babcock doesn’t want to talk about it.

The idea that Matthews should be the next captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs has been solidifying for the past several weeks, with the 19-year-old rookie strengthening his case for the Calder Trophy through the final push to the playoffs.

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The Leafs captaincy has been vacant since Dion Phaneuf was traded to the Ottawa Senators nearly 14 months ago, and there’s an expectation that a captain will be in place when the 2017-18 season begins.

In a hockey year that has featured eye-opening performances from all of the Leafs’ rookies, Matthews has stood above the rest. He was tabbed as a franchise player before the 2016 draft, and in the ensuing months, Matthews has made the rest of the NHL understand what he is capable of accomplishing through the next decade and beyond.

Will he do that with an alternate captain’s A on his sweater instead of the captain’s C? It’s unlikely.