Chicago Blackhawks:
Actual Captain: Jonathan Toews
Right Captain: Jonathan Toews
There’s arguably no better leader than Toews for the last 10 years. I mean, even Entrepreneur.com wrote an article about him titled “7 Leadership Qualities of a True Champion.”
Colorado Avalanche – Gabriel Landeskog
Actual Captain: Gabriel Landeskog
Right Captain: Nathan MacKinnon
For someone who is so close with Sidney Crosby and has continued to learn from him every off-season, MacKinnon is the becoming the leader of the Colorado Avalanche and the captaincy should be his for the taking.
Dallas Stars
Actual Captain: Jamie Benn
Right Captain: Jamie Benn
It’s really only between Benn and Tyler Seguin as the two offensive leaders in Dallas and unfortunately Seguin’s maturity issues haven’t made him an eligible captain, so Benn’s the easy choice here.
Minnesota Wild
Actual Captain: Mikko Koivu
Right Captain: Eric Staal
With leadership skills intact as the former captain of the Carolina Hurricanes, Staal has rejuvenated his career in Minnesota and deserves to wear the “C” again.
Nashville Predators
Actual Captain: Roman Josi
Right Captain: Roman Josi
After so many years of Shea Weber it was tough to find another defenseman like Weber’s presence, but Josi has been and is the perfect replacement.
St. Louis Blues
Actual Captain: Alex Pietrangelo
Right Captain: Ryan O’Reilly
Pietrangelo will be on the Toronto Maple Leafs next year anyways (haha), so why not speed up the process and name O’Reilly as his replacement? O’Reilly has been the captain or alternate captain everywhere he’s played, so it’s finally his time to become a captain in the NHL.
Winnipeg Jets
Actual Captain: Blake Wheeler
Right Captain: Blake Wheeler
One of the most underrated players and leaders in the NHL. On a team filled with young stars like Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele, Patrik Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers, Wheeler is a perfect veteran captain in the Jets’ dressing room.