Who Should Be The Next NHL Captain Of The Detroit Red Wings?

After a brutal 2026 off-season, the Detroit Red Wings are searching for some positive PR. They took a step forward Friday when they announced that star center Dylan Larkin — who demanded a trade earlier this summer — has been stripped of the captaincy.

If the Red Wings are to try and help their fans move past this saga, they need to announce a replacement for him as captain as soon as possible. Given where this organization currently is, there’s no time for a feeling-out process for the captaincy.

The franchise knows what long-term pieces it has, and there are at least a couple worthy candidates you could name captain right now and leave the team's leadership group in a good spot.

Here are the three top candidates for the Wings’ captaincy, in order of most-likely to get the ‘C’ to least-likely to get it:

There are many reasons to name Seider captain. Here are a few: firstly, he’s contractually committed to the Red Wings for the next five seasons. Larkin has shown a player can still want out even if they're signed long-term, but there’s never been any sense Seider wants out. 

Another reason Seider is the right call to replace Larkin is because he has the experience as a leader that has groomed him to be an NHL captain.

Seider was captain for Team Germany at the IIHF World Junior Championship, and he’s been an alternate captain for the Wings as well as an assistant captain for Germany at the 2026 Winter Olympics. This isn’t someone who shies away from a leadership role.

Seider is now 25 years old, and he’s signed to a bargain contract paying him only $8.5 million per season. Giving him the captaincy is the right move for the Red Wings. He's Detroit’s best player, and while that shouldn’t always be the biggest reason, in this case it’s the right choice to get the franchise back on the right path to success.

Like Larkin, DeBrincat is a Michigan native. The 28-year-old has thrived with the Red Wings, posting career-highs in assists (44) and points (85) in the 2025-26 season.

He’s also extremely reliable, as he hasn’t missed a single game in any of the past five seasons. Being dependable with his availability should work in DeBrincat’s favor as a potential captain.

But there’s significant risk if the Red Wings named DeBrincat captain. He’s in the final season of a contract worth $7.8 million per season. If Detroit gives DeBrincat the ‘C’ right away, are they giving him even more leverage than he already has in terms of his next contract negotiations?

There’s a delicate balancing act here, but DeBrincat is in his prime, and the Red Wings desperately need to get him signed to an extension. Wouldn’t it be great optics-wise if Detroit can announce an extension for DeBrincat as well as the captaincy for him?

A hometown kid who wants to be part of the solution is a great narrative for the Red Wings to rally around, and DeBrincat’s on-ice skill and determination would set a solid example for his teammates.

Real talk: the Red Wings giving the ‘C’ to Raymond is significantly less likely than giving it to Seider or DeBrincat. That said, Raymond is an alternate captain, and he’s signed through 2031-32.

There’s no question Raymond is one of Detroit’s most important players, but it feels like they would have to give him a few more years before seriously considering him over the other candidates.

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