Future NHL Captains Predictions (2026)

In this article, I am predicting every NHL Team’s next captain. This is who I think could be named the next leader of each franchise.

Anaheim Ducks

Radko Gudas is the current captain of the Anaheim Ducks.

My guess is that Leo Carlsson is the next captain. He is going to be a stud in this league for the next 10+ years, so I see him taking over as Anaheim’s version of Sasha Barkov/ Anze Kopitar. If not Leo, Jackson LaCombe would be my next guess.

Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins don’t currently have a captain.

I think Charlie McAvoy will be named as the next captain. I don’t think it will be David Pastrnak, I think it will be McAvoy.

Buffalo Sabres

Rasmus Dahlin is the current captain of the Buffalo Sabres. He is still young, so I don’t expect a change for many years.

Zach Benson is my early guess. He is younger and a character type of guy.

Calgary Flames

Mikael Backlund is the current captain of the Calgary Flames. He is getting older and will likely be retiring soon.

This is a complete guess but I will go with Zach Whitecloud. My first thought was Zayne Parekh but it feels way too soon for him. Whitecloud with a short stint and then he passes it to Zayne.

Carolina Hurricanes

Jordan Staal is the current captain of the Carolina Hurricanes.

Sebastian Aho is probably the choice for most but I will go with Logan Stankoven. He is an absolute dog and I think he could take over the reigns.

Chicago Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks don’t currently have a captain.

I am going with Connor Bedard. Feels like a no-brainer.

Colorado Avalanche

Gabriel Landeskog is the current captain of the Colorado Avalance.

You could say Nathan MacKinnon but I am going with Cale Makar. This will be Makar’s team for many years and he feels like the right fit.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Boone Jenner is the current captain of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Unless he demands a trade, Zach Werenski feels like will be the pick.

Dallas Stars

Jamie Benn is the current captain of the Dallas Stars but he should be retiring soon.

Mikko Rantanen feels like the choice here to me. I think he will get a short stint as the captain and then pass it to someone like Wyatt Johnston.

Detroit Red Wings

Dylan Larkin is the current captain of the Detroit Red Wings.

Moritz Seider feels like the choice to me. He will be the anchor of their blue line for many more years to come.

Edmonton Oilers

Connor McDavid is the current captain of the Edmonton Oilers.

I have to go with Leon Draisaitl, simply for the risk of Connor leaving. If he does, Leon is the easy choice as he is signed until 2031.

Florida Panthers

Aleksander Barkov is the current captain of the Florida Panthers.

I am assuming the core Panthers guys like Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart, and Sam Bennett will all be gone around the same time as Barkov. Anton Lundell is my pick. He is someone who Barkov can mentor and teach how to lead.

Los Angeles Kings

The Los Angeles Kings don’t currently have a captain after Anze Kopitar retired.

Drew Doughty feels like the obvious choice here. It will be a quick stint though as Drew is older but I think he deserves it.

Minnesota Wild

Jared Spurgeon is the current captain of the Minnesota Wild.

Quinn Hughes feels like the next captain here after Spurgeon. He was a captain before and it would make sense. You could also argue Marcus Foligno and I wouldn’t have a problem with that.

Montreal Canadiens

Nick Suzuki is the current captain of the Montreal Canadiens. He is still very young, so he should still be captain for a long time in the future.

I will go with Lane Hutson but this is a complete guess since it will be many years down the road.

Nashville Predators

Roman Josi is the current captain of the Nashville Predators.

Filip Forsberg is my best guess. He is five years younger than Josi and has been with the Predators for many years.

New Jersey Devils

Nico Hischier is the current captain of the New Jersey Devils. He is still pretty young, so he will likely be the captain for many years to come.

Jack Hughes is the best guess if he sticks around the Devils but I am not confident in this.

New York Islanders

Anders Lee is the current captain of the New York Islanders.

Brayden Schenn feels like the next captain to me if it happens soon. Matthew Schaefer if it is in a few years from now.

New York Rangers

J.T. Miller is the current captain of the New York Rangers.

I will go with Alexis Lafreniere but I don’t feel great about it. I am expecting a major roster turnover in New York, so we will see who they bring in.

Ottawa Senators

Brady Tkachuk is the current captain of the Ottawa Senators.

I am going with Jake Sanderson as my choice here.

Philadelphia Flyers

Sean Couturier is the current captain of the Philadelphia Flyers.

It is between Travis Sanheim and Travis Konecny for me. I will go with Sanheim.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Sidney Crosby is the current captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

It is going to be a weird to see anyone else as the captain. Assuming Sid plays for a few more years, I will go with Rutger McGroarty, who was the captain of the U.S World Junior Team.

San Jose Sharks

The San Jose Sharks don’t currently have a captain.

I am going with Macklin Celebrini. Feels like a no-brainer.

Seattle Kraken

Jordan Eberle is the current captain of the Seattle Kraken.

I will go with Matty Beniers.

St. Louis Blues

The St Louis Blues don’t have a captain after they traded Brayden Schenn.

Robert Thomas feels like the right choice.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Victor Hedman is the current captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Brandon Hagel feels like the choice based on how he plays and his age.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Auston Matthews is the current captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs

This is very dependent on if Matthews stays with the Leafs for the long-term. If he does, Gavin McKenna would be the choice, with this happening many years down the road. If Matthews leaves soon, Matthew Knies would be the pick.

Utah Mammoth

Clayton Keller is the current captain of the Utah Mammoth. Keller should lead this team for many years as he is pretty young.

I will go with Dylan Guenther as my guess.

Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks don’t have a captain after trading Quinn Hughes.

Filip Hronek is my best guess.

Vegas Golden Knights

Mark Stone is the current captain of the Vegas Golden Knights.

Jack Eichel feels like the choice. He is a former captain and would make sense to take over from Stone when he retires.

Washington Capitals

Alex Ovechkin is the current captain of the Washington Capitals. His career is coming to a close and it will be weird to see anyone else as the captain.

Tom Wilson feels like the guy who will take over.

Winnipeg Jets

Adam Lowry is the current captain of the Winnipeg Jets.

I will go with Josh Morrissey. They could also give it to Connor Hellebuyck since he is the heart of the team.

What are your future NHL captains predictions? Let me know on Facebook.