The New York Rangers are one of only three NHL teams without an active captain. 

The Boston Bruins traded Brad Marchand last season, and although Logan Couture has been the San Jose Sharks’ captain, he stepped away from professional hockey and won’t play again during the final two seasons of his contract, so the team doesn’t have someone wearing the ‘C’ on the ice.

The Rangers’ captaincy has been vacant since star defenseman Jacob Trouba was traded to the Anaheim Ducks last December. If they choose a new captain for this season, he will have the massive responsibility of not only leading a big-market, Original Six club but trying to guide it back to Stanley Cup contention after a very disappointing 2024-25 campaign.

From our perspective, there are five possibilities for the Rangers’ captaincy this upcoming season, and we’re going to explore them below.

1. Artemi Panarin

In many, if not most, cases, teams give their ‘C’ to the most talented player. You see that in Toronto with Auston Matthews, in Pittsburgh with Sidney Crosby, and in Edmonton with Connor McDavid. Those players lead by example, in part on the scoresheet. This is why Panarin should be the Rangers’ captain.

Even in a down year by his standards, Panarin still had 52 assists, 37 goals and 89 points last year, which was 27 more points than the Rangers’ next-biggest contributor on offense. You want your captain to set an example, and when you’re your team’s best force on offense, you should be given the reins.

Panarin is now 33, and he’s the Rangers’ highest-paid player at $11.6 million per season. He’s also entering the final year of his contract. Panarin has every motivation to play well, and he should be embracing the role a captain plays. 

If Panarin doesn’t want to be captain, that’s on him. But the Rangers should be giving him first dibs at the captaincy. He’s the Blueshirts’ best player, and putting the ‘C’ on him would be an indication the Rangers want him to remain with the team for the rest of his career. That would have to be enticing for Panarin.

2. J.T. Miller

Miller was dealt from the Vancouver Canucks to the Rangers last January, and he turned out to be an excellent fit in Manhattan, posting 13 goals and 35 points in 32 games with the Rangers after putting up nine goals and 35 points in 40 games as a Canuck. 

Miller has been a team leader well before now, as he was an alternate captain with the Canucks in his final season in Vancouver. That’s part of what makes him a solid pick to be the Rangers’ captain. 

Miller’s fiery nature and his drive to win can set a solid example for his Rangers teammates. Miller isn’t the biggest player physically speaking, but the way he plays a spirited, tenacious game, combined with a high level of offensive production, is a selling point for him as a potential Rangers captain. Unlike Panarin, Miller is already under contract through 2030 as well.

3. Adam Fox

Fox has been serving as an alternate captain for the Rangers, so clearly, Rangers GM Chris Drury and incoming coach Mike Sullivan see Fox as an important piece of the puzzle. 

Fox’s status as his team’s top defenseman certainly helps his case as well. But why choose Fox to wear the ‘C’? 

For one thing, you don’t see Fox lose his cool very often. That temperament can serve the Rangers well as they try to rebound next season and be a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. 

Fox is a crafty defender and a willing leader, and he’s going nowhere, given his $9.5-million annual salary that runs for the next four seasons. Putting the ‘C’ on him wouldn’t lead to rioting from Rangers fans and media. At 27, Fox is in his prime, and bumping him up to captain would underscore how crucial he is to the Rangers’ blueprint to winning.

4. Vincent Trocheck

The Hockey News’ Remy Mastey has been banging the drum to install Trocheck as captain since the Trouba trade. And you can see why, as the 32-year-old center has been the model of consistency in his three years as a Ranger. In the last two seasons, Trocheck has posted a combined total of 51 goals and 136 points.

That’s nothing to sneer at, and Trocheck has a grit to his game that you expect from third- and fourth-liners. But Trocheck is a top-six player, and his ability to put his nose to the grindstone and not accept a backward step is part of what makes him so valuable. 

Mastey also noted that Trocheck consistently talks to the media, regardless of the result, even after difficult losses. That maturity and professionalism in front of the cameras is certainly a nice trait for a captain to have.

That said, we’re of the opinion that Trocheck is fourth on this list because we think Panarin, Miller and Fox have the better package of leadership skills and on-ice skills. Nothing against Trocheck, who every team would want on their roster.

5. Nobody

Yes, nobody. 

If the Rangers didn’t name a permanent captain to begin the season, it wouldn’t be the first time an NHL team chose to go that route with their captaincy. In recent years, the Philadelphia Flyers, Chicago Blackhawks and Calgary Flames have gone without a captain for at least one full season, instead splitting the captain’s duties among veterans.

But the truth is, good NHL teams don’t necessarily need a captain to thrive as a group. 

Waiting to give the ‘C’ to a deserving candidate isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s a realization that sometimes the best candidate needs more seasoning and experience before they take on the captaincy.

That’s what we’re seeing with the Blackhawks and evolving star Connor Bedard. The Hawks went through the 2023-24 season with no captain, and last year, veteran greybeard Nick Foligno got the ‘C.’ But when Bedard is ready, there’s little doubt he’ll be Chicago’s captain.

We don’t want to undersell the impact of a great captain. You need leaders who can connect with coaches and their fellow players. But if no one is ready for those responsibilities, you don’t need to stick the ‘C’ on someone just for the sake of it, especially in a market as big as the one the Rangers are in. Better to be patient and let a player flourish as a leader before they’re named captain.

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