No captain for Red Wings this season

[Vujtek]

Yeah I wonder if this technically breaks the streak for them always having had a captain. Z is technically still on the roster so they do have a captain still.

Larkin will get it next year once Kronwall is gone

It does break it. I mean if you still count as Z still technically being on the roster as counting as having captain, then if Larkin gets named as captain next year, that would mean Z is stripped off captaincy. Can't have it both ways.

Also, while Z is still on the payroll, he's not on team anymore. Red Wings site doesn't even list him on the roster. Z is done, it's already reported by the team. Only reason he's not officially retired is cap/salary related reasons but they don't make him count as current team captain anymore than say Pavel Datsyuk having retired from the NHL as an Arizona Coyote. No, Dats was a life long Detroit Red Wing in the NHL.

Now saying all that and this breaking Red Wings' streak of having captain every year of their existence until this season, I'm sure not naming one right now is a good choice. Larkin may not be quite ready yet for that responsibility.

 

[Thorton02]

They're saving it for Stevie Y.

 

[pheasant]

So Toronto, Detroit and New York all captainless... am I missing anyone?

Islanders, Senators, Canucks and Golden Knights.

This is so silly. I've made a joke or two about the Leafs being afraid to name a captain. But it's clearly not just them.

I don't understand anyone's reason for doing this. Is it such a big deal to name a captain, and maybe make a change after a year or two? Name a respected vet who can hand it to a younger guy when they're ready. Why go with no one?

 

[WingsMJN2965]

They'll name an official captain once Zs contract expires

Don't think this has anything to do with it. Z is all but retired as a salary cap formality. He's already been told he can never play again, so there's no point in holding up a captaincy because his contract is still active for cap reasons.

Think it has to do with Larkin's age and the fact that they're not going to dub Larkin the, "Leader" while Kronwall is still around. And I don't think they're going to give it to Kronwall for just one season.

 

[Melrose Munch]

Don't think this has anything to do with it. Z is all but retired as a salary cap formality. He's already been told he can never play again, so there's no point in holding up a captaincy because his contract is still active for cap reasons.

Think it has to do with Larkin's age and the fact that they're not going to dub Larkin the, "Leader" while Kronwall is still around. And I don't think they're going to give it to Kronwall for just one season.

Why is it such a big deal to name Larkin captain or not while Kronwall is still around?

 

[raymond23]

Why is it such a big deal to name Larkin captain or not while Kronwall is still around?

I think it's more that they'd rather not give Larkin the C when this team is a bottom feeder. Hopefully by next year we'll at least start trending in the right direction.

 

[Hatter of the Beach]

Not at all mad with this. Would have been a nice gesture to give to Kronwall in his swan song season, but I guess he just didn't fit the caliber of players of the previous ones. It's Larkin's as soon as next year probably.

 

[Paperbagofglory]

They should just name Holland captain, hes been the undisputed leader of that sinking ship for half a decade.

Their prospect depth looks more disgusting than little caesar's pizza.

 

[MMANumminen]

That's dumb...if u can't decide let the players vote fore it ffs

 

[Big Ed]

They should just name Holland captain, hes been the undisputed leader of that sinking ship for half a decade.

Their prospect depth looks more disgusting than little caesar's pizza.

One of the best prospect pools in the league atm, but okay.

 

[Hatter of the Beach]

They should just name Holland captain, hes been the undisputed leader of that sinking ship for half a decade.

Their prospect depth looks more disgusting than little caesar's pizza.

I'm not sure if you mean literally disgusting, or the counter intuitive meaning in slang that's short for "disgustingly good". The Wings have one of the strongest prospect pools in the league currently, meaning you either disagree with that general consensus of prospect system rankings or, perhaps even more crazy,think Lil Ceaser's Pizza is good (shudder). Either way, your post is self contradicting.

 

[WingsMJN2965]

Why is it such a big deal to name Larkin captain or not while Kronwall is still around?

Why label one guy as the leader when everybody's naturally gonna look to the guy who's been around for 15 years.

I think it has more to do with the fact that Kronwall is the "Leader" but isn't getting the C for one single year.