In the NHL, there are currently five teams without a captain. Here are five players that have the potential to wear the “C” on their jersey.
Currently, five NHL teams are without a captain. The Detroit Red Wings, New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, and Vegas Golden Knights. All these teams have been in a rebuilding stage (Vegas is in the “building” stage) where they are trying to re-invent themselves and where they stand in the league.
While many of the teams still have ways to go before they become competitive, they all have one player on the roster that stands out above the rest. Here are five players in the NHL that deserve a captaincy.
Detroit Red Wings
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Dylan Larkin is seen as the future of the Detroit Red Wings. He’s their star player, he’s a leader, and is seen as the piece to build their team around. He grew up a Red Wings’ fan and is a member of the Ted Lindsay Foundation. Larkin is the face of the franchise and will be for many years to come. Giving him the captaincy is a no-brainer and should happen soon.
New Jersey Devils
Nico Hischier is the future of the New Jersey Devils. At 21 years old, he has already earned the “A” and has established himself as a leader in the locker room. He’s extremely skilled and works really hard which sets a good example for the rest of the team and it seems pretty unanimous among the Devils that Hischier will be the next player to wear the “C”.
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are really lucky in the fact that they have so many great candidates for the captaincy. Mika Zibanejad, however, stands out from the rest. Let’s put aside his offensive production for a second.
A captain is supposed to be the face of the franchise, be the leader in the locker room as well as the community. In the 2018-19 season, Zibanejad was the winner of the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award. This is a fan-chosen award given to the player that “goes above and beyond the call of duty”. His teammates love him and he follows by example both on and off the ice. He’s a great candidate for the Rangers’ next captain.
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are blessed to have a never-ending supply of franchise defensemen. Thomas Chabot is the face of the Senators and will be the player that they build the entire franchise around. He signed an eight-year contract with Ottawa and is intent on finding success with the organization.
At 23 years old, he conducts himself with the maturity of a long-time veteran. With the Senators’ young talent about to enter the big leagues, having captain Chabot in the locker room to help guide them will be a big help.
Vegas Golden Knights
Last season, Mark Stone signed an eight-year contract with the Vegas Golden Knights and is going to be a part of this team for a very long time. He’s one of the best players in the league and will soon be a fan favourite in Vegas if he isn’t already. Stone is an established leader and has the perfect resumer to be the first captain in Vegas’s history.
Being named a captain is a big honour and it represents how important you are to both the franchise and the community. These five players are the faces of their franchises and deserve to be recognized as captains.