Who Will Be the Canucks’ Next Captain?

Seeing this might make Canucks fans feel left out, as nobody on the team has been given the coveted letter yet. However, there are definitely some options both now and in the future who will definitely be considered.

No Rush to Make a Decision

There isn’t a reason to rush to a decision with the captaincy. It’s a big deal for NHL teams to give the letter to a player, as it can instantly shift the culture and the on-ice dynamic.

Head coach Manny Malhotra discussed this, stating that the team “talked about it earlier in the summer that the leaders of this group will emerge when the time is right.” He went on to say, “That’s going to play out over the next few weeks to see who takes hold of that type of role, and we see who the guys want to follow. But we’re not in any rush to put A’s and C’s on guys. When it happens, it happens.”

This is the best way to handle this, as the team shouldn’t close the door on giving the honor to a player willing to step up to the challenge.

Filip Hronek Brings Steadiness

In the post-Quinn Hughes era in Vancouver, Filip Hronek has, without a doubt, taken on that leadership role. It’s been pretty well-documented that he had a major impact on the rest of the Canucks roster last season, showcasing steadiness for a team that was going through an unstable time. He emerged as a leader and was arguably the team’s best player, putting up the best point total in his career despite playing in an environment not very conducive to offensive production.

There’s something to be said about a player who can put their head down and work even when it feels like the sky is falling around them, and Hronek proved that he can do just that in 2025-26.

Hronek is locked up until 2032, with a no-move clause that morphs into a 15-team modified no-trade clause in the 2028-29 season. Considering Hronek has stated that he doesn’t want to leave the team despite knowing they will likely finish near the bottom of the standings, naming him captain could be a great move as the team works towards building something special.

Brock Boeser Is Showing Commitment

There’s been a lot of buzz around Brock Boeser becoming a leader of this Canucks team so far in the pre-season. He has talked about learning leadership from the Sedin Twins, and made sure to get a head start to the season by returning to Vancouver and working alongside Thatcher Demko.

This excitement to get things going echoes what we see from contending teams with strong cultures, not rebuilding squads coming off historically bad seasons. 

Another reason why Boeser would be a good fit is his commitment to the Canucks long-term. Plenty of people thought he was going to leave the squad back in the 2025 offseason, but he instead upped for seven more years. Naming him captain could be a great bridge for the next few years before the young core hits their primes.

Young Studs With Future Letters?

It seems that in the future, the Canucks will have plenty of options to give letters to. If you look at their last three first-round picks, Braeden Cootes, Caleb Malhotra, and Adam Novotny, all are heralded for the intangibles that they bring to a locker room.

It’s important not just to have one leadership figure, which we see with recent Stanley Cup-winning squads like the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers. Both of these teams had multiple players wearing the A who would also make great captains, whether that be Jaccob Slavin and Sebastian Aho with the Hurricanes, or Brad Marchand and Kyle Okposo in the Panthers repeat wins.

It’s hard to imagine that the Canucks would wait for one of their prospects to mature before naming a captain, but it’s clear that there’s no rush right now. It could happen, but teams in this position often don’t fill the hole right away.