While it was a good moment, some reporters are taking a more cynical approach with all of this. For instance, Dave Feshuk of The Star recently wrote about how this was all a means of distracting fans from the real problems with the roster. From salary cap bloat to the lack of championships, Feschuk doesn't see this as real change. He also mentions capitalism and how this could very well be a great way to sell more jerseys, even if the team has denied such an angle.
This is definitely an interesting take, albeit one that fans may disagree with. After all, things were not working with John Tavares as captain, and Matthews was going to get the C eventually anyway. If the Leafs were winners, they could probably avoid these kinds of hot takes. For now, however, they will just need to go out there and prove themselves.