The Seattle Kraken is the last remaining team in the NHL without a captain.
Even Utah Hockey Club, the team that hasn’t existed for more than six months, just named tenured forward Clayton Keller as the first captain in its franchise history last Friday. The former Boston University Terrier had been the popular choice after eight seasons with the Arizona Coyotes, where he served as a bright spot for a challenged franchise.
Six teams ended the 2023-24 season without a captain. Since then, in addition to Utah Hockey Club, the Anaheim Ducks picked seasoned defenseman Radko Gudas, who was considered a surprise pick to be Anaheim’s captain after not having a letter on the team last season.
The Buffalo Sabres chose rising star defenseman Rasmus Dahlin. The Tampa Bay Lightning let captain Steven Stamkos walk in free agency after two Stanley Cup Championships, and in turn, decided that the giant, experienced defenseman Victor Hedman would be next in line.
The Chicago Blackhawks went with fan-favorite veteran forward Nick Foligno to occupy the captaincy until young forward Connor Bedard, the obvious future of the franchise, gains the experience and confidence to take the lead.
That leaves just the Kraken.
The Kraken played their inaugural season in 2021-22. In the expansion draft, they picked up Calgary Flames captain Mark Giordano, who had been wearing the “C” since 2013, and he was chosen to help lead the brand new patchwork group of players.
That was until the Kraken traded him before the season ended. The captain position has been vacant since — and it’s been two years.
Although Seattle plays its first game tomorrow, the letters have not been announced for the upcoming season. The latest Kraken leadership group consists of four alternate captains: forwards Jordan Eberle, Yanni Gourde and Jaden Schwartz and defenseman Adam Larsson.
Because they’ve already worn letters, those four are obvious candidates to step up and wear the “C.” Eberle, Gourde and Larsson were selected in the expansion draft, and Schwartz signed a five-year contract with the team before the first season, so each of them has been with the team since its inception.
Eberle and Gourde are both known for their ability to fire up their team when they need it. Gourde, a fan favorite, has even been nicknamed “The Pepper Pot” because he has often been the first to step up and defend his teammates when the game starts to get chippy. Both are veteran players who have spent more than eight years in the league, and Gourde has two Stanley Cups to his name as well. Eberle has spent more time in the league and was even a Lady Byng finalist for his sportsmanship.
However, neither player is signed to a long-term deal. Eberle will become an unrestricted free agent after the 2025-26 season, and Gourde will potentially leave during the next off-season. Choosing either of them could mean having to choose another captain fairly soon.
Schwartz, a quieter character who leads by example, has a similar issue. He’s starting the fourth year of his five-year contract.
Larsson just signed a four-year extension with the Kraken, much to the delight of fans and his teammates. He is known for being stoic and hardworking, and the adoration of those who watch him is a sign of his good character.
Defenseman and Larsson’s other half, Vince Dunn, is another candidate to step up. The two have an adorable bond, and Dunn is a popular choice among fans, too. He has been productive on both sides of the puck for Seattle, has his name etched into the Stanley Cup and has the passion people love to see in a leader on the ice. Having signed a four-year extension before last season, Dunn will be sticking around for a while longer.
Forward and top offensive player Jared McCann would make sense, too. Not only does he lead by example as the franchise’s top-scorer, but he is also supportive of his teammates and a joy to watch. Like the previous five options, McCann has also been on the team since its first game.
There are a couple less-tenured options, too.
Forward Matty Beniers, the Kraken’s first-ever draft pick, was selected second overall in 2021. He won the Calder Trophy in 2022-23, which was his second season and his first full one. Despite his sophomore slump last season, he is still the future and face of the franchise, and the front office knows that, too. He just signed a seven-year contract this off-season. He’s still young and relatively unproven to be captain, but he has made himself a core piece of this team regardless.
A surprise choice for captain would be the brand-new signing, defenseman Brandon Montour. He just won the Stanley Cup in June with the Florida Panthers, so he knows what it looks like to go deep into the playoffs. He also just seems like a ray of sunshine, and his new teammates already love him.
A captain is not necessary for a team, but it would be a good way for the staff to boost the confidence of the locker room and show appreciation for a player.
The Kraken are probably not going to be very good this season, but giving a player the “C” would bring some positivity to a team that is otherwise not very exciting.
