With the Toronto Maple Leafs making a change in captaincy this season, when Auston Matthews replaces John Tavares, it’s a reminder that the New York Rangers have a looming decision on that front in the not-so-distant future.
Jacob Trouba enters his third season as Rangers captain and is under contract through 2025-26. But following the events of this offseason when the Rangers sought to trade Trouba only to have him block any such move with his 15-team, no-trade clause, it’s fair to question whether this is his final season on Broadway.
Since the Rangers will be up against the salary cap next offseason and needing to re-sign free agents Igor Shesterkin (UFA), Alexis Lafreniere (RFA) and K’Andre Miller (RFA) to expensive new deals, it’s difficult to imagine Trouba and his $8 million AAV will fit on the books.
That would mean the Rangers likely will move on from their captain, who just won the 2024 Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award.
It’s a different situation than in Toronto, where the Maple Leafs, with a new coach and looking to create a fresh positive vibe after numerous first-round exits in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, are elevating Matthews after a 69-goal season to replace Tavares, who’ll remain on the roster this season.
It would come as a shock if Trouba were stripped of his captaincy in the time between now and October, and likely wouldn’t be a wise move considering there are already reports about displeasure within the locker room regarding how Trouba and alternate captain Barclay Goodrow, who was ruthlessly placed on waivers, were handled this offseason.
All reports indicated that Tavares is in full support of the “changing of the guard” and the decision to recognize Matthews as the new leader of the Maple Leafs. Chances are, there’d be a bit more tension and controversy if the Rangers tried to pull that maneuver this offseason.
Instead, you’d figure the Rangers will try and trade Trouba after this season when his no-trade list shrinks from 15 teams to 12 after July 1, 2025.
Even if Trouba does remain on the team for 2025-26, it marks the final year of his contract. So whether it be next offseason or the one after, the Rangers, in all likelihood, will be looking for a successor at captain.
Best candidates to succeed Trouba as captain
Keep in mind that the Rangers are not forced into anything with their captaincy. They went four and a half seasons following the trade of former captain Ryan McDonagh in 2017-18 without any player donning the “C”.
But the Rangers do have several excellent in-house candidates to replace Trouba one day.
Let’s examine the best options.
Adam Fox
While it’s a little harder to narrow down who exactly is the face of the Rangers, Adam Fox is undoubtedly in that mix. The superstar defenseman won the Norris Trophy in 2020-21 and has finished top five in voting in every season since his rookie campaign.
But on top of his on-ice success, he’s started to assume more of a leadership role, joining the alternate captain rotation this season. There are certainly more experienced, veteran options to pick from, but the 26-year-old is taking on more responsibility and is a star who’s signed through the 2028-29 season.
Fox, in many ways, bridges the gap between the talented veterans like Artemi Panarin, Chris Kreider, and Mika Zibanejad, all of whom are now in their thirties, and the next wave of players that represent the future, like Alexis Lafreniere and K’Andre Miller.
The Long Island native maneuvered his way to New York in the first place and clearly loves playing for the Rangers. It shouldn’t come as a surprise if he spends the majority, if not the entirety, of his career as a Blueshirt. That would provide long-term consistency with the captaincy.
It’s worth noting that the Rangers haven’t had a superstar captain since Jaromir Jagr, who assumed the role from 2006 to 2008. The last four Rangers captains — Trouba, McDonagh, Ryan Callahan, and Chris Drury — were never the stars or the most skilled players on their respective teams, but all embodied the grit and toughness associated with playing in New York.
While Fox’s game certainly aligns more with the skill side, he’s proven himself a tough defensemen and is highly respected within his own dressing room.
Chris Kreider
Many have long campaigned for Kreider, the longest-tenured active Rangers player entering his 13th season in New York, to assume the role of captain. He certainly fits the bill.
A veteran with no issues taking younger players under his wing, most recently displayed by his work with Matt Rempe, who will spend the rest of the summer training with him, Kreider has the mentorship that you look for in an experienced leader.
No one else on the roster can quite match Trouba’s ability to spark a fire under the team, ala the helmet throw in 2022-23, but Kreider’s passion and energy are consistently on display. He’s certainly got enough to get the team going and is well respected.
Ranking third-all-time in franchise history with 304 goals, Kreider may even surpass Rod Gilbert’s mark of 406 to become the Blueshirts all-time goal leader by the end of his contract in 2026-27. He’s a Rangers great whose jersey will hang from the rafters when it’s all said and done.
This is a franchise that certainly likes to honor legacy. Despite a dip in production, Mark Messier was given his captaincy back when he returned for his age 40-43 seasons.
Kreider’s never been a captain but he has served as an alternate for the past six seasons, dating back to 2018-19, and should don the “A” again this season.
There was a point not too long ago where it seemed like a lock that Kreider would be the Rangers captain at some point in his career. However, the four years that the Blueshirts spent captain-less followed by the appointment of Trouba in 2022-23 has poured some cold water on that.
Whether it be because he simply didn’t want to be captain or because the locker room viewed Trouba as a more suitable fit, Kreider has already been passed up once. To be honest, he appears content to be in the background and not be the day-to-day voice of the team with the media.
If Trouba does depart next season, Kreider will be 34 with two years left on his contract. It doesn’t make his resume any less impressive or him as a person any less deserving — Kreider’s always had the backs of his teammates and the homegrown Ranger has earned the respect of the fanbase thanks to consistent play in both the regular season and the playoffs.
However, it does feel like Kreider’s best chance to become captain was after the departure of McDonagh. If the Rangers wish to go with a more long term option, it may be too late, despite everything he’s done for the franchise.
Vincent Trocheck
Vicent Trocheck is, by far, the shortest-tenured Ranger of the captain candidates, but he’s one worth mentioning.
The 31-year-old is coming off an excellent second season in New York, when he had an NHL career-high 77 points, elite 58.7 face-off win percentage and then led the Blueshirts with 20 points in the postseason.
Especially with Trocheck, though, it’s what he’s done off the ice that makes him such an intriguing option.
The first moment that jumps to mind is his reaction to the end of a magical 2023-24 season that saw the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Rangers lose in the Eastern Conference Final. While most Rangers blankly peered out at the ice when the Florida Panthers celebrated a six-game series victory, Trocheck embraced goaltender Igor Shesterkin, who battled brilliantly through that series and the playoffs as a whole, despite his team’s defeat.
Other minor things like Trocheck hosting Italian dinners for the team when they play in his hometown of Pittsburgh indicate that he’s quickly settled into the locker room and has no problem assuming the role of a leader.
He’s a high-effort, high-intensity player at an undersized 5-foot-11, slightly reminiscent of the 5-foot-10 Callahan, who was captain for three seasons from 2011 to 2014. Trocheck won the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award this past season.
He may not be a homegrown player like Kreider or Fox, the latter of whom was not drafted by the Rangers but has only played for them, but plenty of Blueshirts captains over the past few decades didn’t get their start in New York, such as Trouba, Jagr, Messier. and Drury.
Trocheck’s signed through the 2028-29 season like Fox, and while he’ll be older, he’s still an excellent candidate that should be around for the next five seasons, should the Rangers wish to go down that route.
Other Candidates — Mika Zibanejad, Alexis Lafreniere, K’Andre Miller
Fox, Kreider, and Trocheck currently have the strongest cases to become the next captain, but there a few other names that should be mentioned, at least briefly.
Unfortunately for Shesterkin, goalies aren’t allowed to serve as captains per the NHL rulebook, so despite his on-ice excellence, he can’t be considered here. The Vancouver Canucks did appoint Roberto Luongo as captain for two seasons starting in 2008, but he was never actually allowed to serve as an on-ice captain during games.
Mika Zibanejad, however, is eligible to become captain and should at least be discussed, even if his case isn’t quite as strong.
The second-longest tenured Ranger s player behind Kreider, Zibanejad has played in New York for the past eight seasons and remains under contract until 2029-30. He’s been the top-line center for the majority of that time, and, statistically, is one of the greatest centers in Rangers history already.
He’s a bit soft-spoken however and not necessarily known for being the sparkplug in the locker room that guys like Trouba and Trocheck can be. From the outside looking in, it doesn’t seem like a perfect fit, especially with the other candidates previously mentioned.
Alexis Lafreniere, meanwhile, is a bit intriguing after his breakout 2023-24 season. If he can prove that it wasn’t a fluke and get a long-term deal sorted out, the former No. 1 overall pick, who’s only 23 years old, should be a mainstay in New York for the next decade-plus.
In line with the logic behind appointing Fox, giving the captaincy to one of your younger stars gives you a long-term leader and some stability in the locker room. However, whereas Fox is a proven star and has taken the leap into a leadership role, it still feels like there’s some growth that can happen for Lafreniere, both on and off the ice.
A captaincy could certainly be in his future, but with a potential Trouba departure seemingly happening sooner than later, he’s probably not ready for that leap just yet.
Like Lafreniere, K’Andre Miller is finishing up his fourth season in the NHL. Rising to success a bit faster, he quickly assumed a top four role defensively and is now one of the Rangers top defensemen.
He’ll need to figure out his long-term deal as well before any rumblings of captaincy can be had. And he tends to be quiet and prefer being in the background. Still, outside of a spitting incident at the start of the 2022-23 season, he’s been a consummate professional and one of the faces of a younger core that will look to take hold in a few years.
At just 25 entering this season, he’s got plenty of road left ahead of him and should be one of the Rangers leaders on the blue line, right alongside Fox. Plus, he’d be the first Black captain for the Rangers in a sport that emphasizes inclusivity and diversity.
