Predicting who fills 10 NHL captain vacancies in 2026-27
The NHL offseason is in full swing, and with that comes lots of player movement, including some abandoning the sweaters on which they wore the C’s.
Four players who served as captains for their respective clubs at the end of the 2025-26 campaign will play elsewhere next season. There are six other teams around the league whose captaincies were vacant at the end of the regular season and remain so now.
With a total of 10 NHL clubs captainless, here are 10 predictions for whom teams will choose to wear the ‘C’ in 2026-27.
Anaheim Ducks: Leo Carlsson Jackson LaCombe
After the Ducks traded Gudas to the Florida Panthers in June, it felt like Leo Carlsson would be a lock to replace him as captain. The 2023 No. 2 overall pick has excelled through his first three years in the league and took major strides last season, finishing with 67 points in 70 games and leading Anaheim back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
However, after the Philadelphia Flyers signed Carlsson to a five-year, $90-million offer sheet with an $18-million cap hit last Friday, all bets are off. The Ducks and general manager Pat Verbeek have until this Friday to decide whether they make the Flyers’ offer or let Carlsson join Philadelphia and take four first-round picks as compensation.
But even if the Ducks match the offer, does Carlsson signing it in the first place leave a sour taste in Anaheim’s mouth? They might look elsewhere and give the captaincy to defenseman Jackson LaCombe, who signed an eight-year extension ahead of last season. He’s since emerged as one of the best young defenders in the NHL and is arguably the club’s most valuable skater. Regardless of how the Carlsson situation plays out, LaCombe may be the next to wear the ‘C.’
Boston Bruins: David Pastrnak
After Boston traded long-time Bruin Brad Marchand to the Panthers at the Trade Deadline in 2025, it felt like an inevitability that Charlie McAvoy would be next to serve as captain. The Bruins have had several defenders wear the ‘C’ for long periods, including Ray Bourque and Zdeno Chara, and McAvoy has been a major presence on the club in his nine full NHL seasons.
But after they went through the entire 2025-26 season without naming a replacement, it feels like they’ll never give it to him. Enter Pastrnak, who finished 2025-26 with his fourth straight 100-point campaign, had 32 more points than second-place Morgan Geekie and was the primary reason why Boston made it to the playoffs.
Pastrnak finished sixth in Hart Trophy voting last season, and there’s a case to be made that he should have finished higher, as it’s obvious the Bruins wouldn’t have been anywhere near the postseason if not for him. What’s even more obvious is that Pastrnak, who turned 30 last May, should be the next one to wear the ‘C’ in Boston.
Chicago Blackhawks: Connor Bedard
There’s no doubt who the top dog is in Chicago. The Blackhawks traded captain Nick Foligno to the Minnesota Wild at the Trade Deadline last spring, and while he did an admirable job of wearing the ‘C’ in his two-and-a-half seasons with the club, it’s Bedard’s turn to take over.
“It’s a no-brainer in all our eyes for how (Bedard has) led us and what he does on a nightly and daily basis in here,” Foligno said one day before he was traded to the Wild. “It’s going to be part of who he is: he’s a leader of this team, he’s going to be a guy that this franchise stands on for a long time. So, it’s exciting that his journey has started.”
With 30 goals and 75 points last season, Bedard set new career highs, but the Blackhawks, once again, fell well short of a playoff spot. If Chicago wants to take a forward leap, it will be Bedard who takes the first step.
Columbus Blue Jackets: Charlie Coyle
With Boone Jenner signing with the Washington Capitals on July 1, the Blue Jackets are now without a captain for the first time since 2020. Under normal circumstances, the next man up to wear the ‘C’ in Columbus would be Zach Werenski, who is coming off a Norris Trophy-winning season and helped lead the U.S. men’s team to a gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
But rumors have swirled about Werenski’s intentions of going elsewhere, including a failed trade to the Dallas Stars that the 28-year-old blueliner vetoed. It reached a boiling point where on July 1, both Werenski and the Blue Jackets released a joint statement saying that he wants to remain with the club.
Since Werenski’s future with the team is up in the air, the team will likely turn to veteran forward Charlie Coyle, who signed a six-year extension in May that will keep him with the club through the 2031-32 season. Despite being in his mid-30s, Coyle is coming off a highly productive season and will provide stability in a forward group that needs it after Jenner’s departure.
Los Angeles Kings: Adrian Kempe … unless …
With the retirement of Anze Kopitar, who served as captain for 10 seasons, there are several options the Kings have for who can replace him. Kempe has been a top producer for the club, and he’s entering the first season of an eight-year contract that will keep him with the club through the 2033-34 campaign.
However … defenseman Drew Doughty, who has one year remaining on an eight-year contract, has expressed interest in taking over for Kopitar, telling NHL.com in April that he would “love to be captain of this team” and that “it would mean the world” to him.
But with Kings’ general manager Ken Holland confirming the team wouldn’t sign Doughty to a contract extension, instead saying the two sides would see where they were at “a year from now,” perhaps Kempe is the safer bet to wear the “C.”
New York Islanders: Bo Horvat
Anders Lee served as Islanders captain for eight seasons after the departure of John Tavares, then signed a three-year deal with the Utah Mammoth last week. The next player who should wear the ‘C’ on Long Island is Bo Horvat, who has previously served as an NHL captain with the Vancouver Canucks and has emerged as one of the leaders on this New York squad.
The 30-year-old forward posted his fourth 30-goal campaign and eighth 50-point season in 2025-26, leading the Islanders in a late-season playoff charge and earning himself a spot on the Canadian men’s Olympic roster. While Calder Trophy-winning blueliner Matthew Schaefer may be the future of the franchise, Horvat is the glue that will take this group into the next chapter of Islanders hockey.
Ottawa Senators: Jake Sanderson
You might be wondering, “Why replace one U.S. Olympian who wanted to leave with another U.S. Olympain who may want to leave?” And hey, that’s a good question. Captain Brady Tkachuk wanted out of Ottawa and got his way, accepting a trade to the Florida Panthers to play with his brother Matthew.
But there’s nothing to indicate that Sanderson, who has led the Senators back to the playoffs and has developed into one of the league’s best defenders, wants to leave. He is entering the third season of an eight-year contract and his $8-million cap hit looks better and better with the salary cap continuing to rise.
The Senators have desperately needed a true No. 1 defender since Erik Karlsson left the franchise in 2018, and Sanderson gives them that piece to build around. Then again … is there a chance the franchise is worried about getting burned again, and would instead choose forward Tim Stutzle as their captain?
Only time will tell.
San Jose Sharks: Macklin Celebrini
This was the easiest choice on the list. Celebrini emerged as one of the best players in the NHL last season, where he finished fourth in the league with 115 points — 56 ahead of closest San Jose teammate Will Smith’s 59 points — got the Sharks within four points of a Wildcard spot and was a major factor in the Canadian men’s team’s silver-medal finish at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Some may point to Celebrini’s age as a hindrance to being named captain of an NHL club, but the 20-year-old center plays with the maturity of a 10-year veteran, and he carries himself off the ice like someone who’s played even longer.
St. Louis Blues: Philip Broberg
The Blues sent captain Brayden Schenn to the New York Islanders at the Trade Deadline last spring, signalling changes were on the way in St. Louis. But I can’t get a read on the Blues, largely because I don’t think they have a read on what the future holds.
The team traded Jordan Kyrou to the Washington Capitals ahead of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, but reports indicate St. Louis has told teams that forward Robert Thomas and defenseman Colton Parayko are no longer available for trade. Then again, all it takes is one phone call for that to change.
Typically, I’d say one of those two players would be perfectly adequate choices to replace Schenn as captain, but with their futures holding some form of doubt, Broberg is the best option. He led the team in average ice time last season at 23:21 and became their most reliable blueliner, playing in all situations. With the future of several big names up in the air, St. Louis needs stability, and Broberg brings that to the rink every day.
Vancouver Canucks: Nobody
The Canucks are in what Pulp Fiction’s Jules Winnfield would call a “transitional period,” having a new general manager, head coach, a top prospect and several veteran free agent signings after one of their worst regular-season performances in franchise history. Vancouver traded former captain Quinn Hughes to Minnesota early last season, and while they received an impressive package in return, they’re still far from being a contender.
With no clear franchise player in their lineup, and speculation over the future of highly paid forwards Elias Pettersson and Jake DeBrusk, perhaps the best course of action would be to leave the captaincy vacant in 2026-27. Veterans like Luke Schenn and Brendan Gallagher can help reset the locker room and allow young players like Marco Rossi, Zeev Buium and 2026 No. 3 overall pick Caleb Malhotra to find their voices as they mature as professionals.
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