Dallas Stars head coach Pete DeBoer has gotten the privilege of coaching an elite group of young players in his three years in Dallas.

Between Jason Robertson, Wyatt Johnston and Thomas Harley, DeBoer has been tasked with leading the new generation of the Stars franchise. Being able to reload into a new era while still having Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin as integral parts of the team has allowed the team to transition seamlessly without the need for a rebuild.

DeBoer has seen each player develop and become a leader in their own right, but his comments about Wyatt Johnston on Thursday hinted that Johnston might be tapped for the most important leadership role.

"He's got great instinctual leadership," DeBoer said. "He's going to wear a 'C' one day for the Dallas Stars, no doubt in my mind."

Johnston is only in his third season after entering the league as an 18-year-old, but has established himself as one of the leaders in scoring each year. He has a goal in all three Game 7 appearances he has been a part of so far in his career, including the game winner against Colorado to close out this year's first round series.

Benn, the current captain, is turning 36 this summer. Benn needs a new contract, but has made it clear that he wants to be a Star for life. That being said, Johnston could see an opportunity for the captaincy arise around his 25 or 26-year-old season if Benn were to retire around 40, or even earlier if something unexpected happened in between.

There are plenty of good options for the next Stars captain, but Johnston seems to have the vote of one of the most important members of the team already.

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