- A record 10 NHL teams open 2026-27 without a captain, believed to be the most at one time in league history
- Boston, Columbus, the Islanders and Ottawa all lost their leader over the past two years
- Read below for the top candidate on each Eastern club, from Pastrnak to Giroux
The NHL is walking into 2026-27 with more empty captaincies than it has ever had at once. Ten teams have nobody wearing the “C” right now, and four of them sit in the Eastern Conference.
Boston, Columbus, the New York Islanders and Ottawa all watched their leader walk away or get traded. Each one has a call to make before opening night.
The Bruins have gone the longest without settling it. They played all of last season without a captain for the first time since 2001-02, splitting the load between David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy. Both wore an “A” and both are signed through at least 2029-30.
McAvoy might have edged ahead. He suited up for 69 games through a broken jaw and a broken hand, though a six-game suspension for slashing Zach Benson late in the first-round loss to Buffalo left a mark on the resume.
Columbus is the messiest of the group. Boone Jenner wore the “C” for five years before signing with Washington on July 1, and the Blue Jackets have no obvious heir. Sean Monahan, Charlie Coyle and fan favorite Mathieu Olivier are all in the conversation, while Zach Werenski’s long-term future in Columbus is still an open question.
The Islanders look like the easy one. Anders Lee took his captaincy to Utah in free agency, and Bo Horvat is the natural replacement. He is locked up for five more seasons and already captained Vancouver, so a second franchise “C” could be his by opening night. New York also has Matthew Schaefer being groomed for the role down the line.
Ottawa might be the most interesting of all. Brady Tkachuk forced his way to Florida after five years as captain, and the Senators could leave the spot open into the fall. If they want a bridge, Claude Giroux makes plenty of sense.
The 38-year-old re-signed for one more year and captained Philadelphia for a decade. Young defenseman Jake Sanderson is the long-term answer, but Giroux getting the “C” for a final ride would be a fitting way to close things out.
