With Brady Tkachuk's surprise departure from the Ottawa Senators in the off-season, the team is now one of 10 NHL franchises without a named captain. As next season creeps closer, let's look at which Ottawa Senators players could be good options for the team's next captain.
Tim Stutzle
Stutzle, who was an assistant captain during Brady Tkachuk's tenure, is one of the most likely choices for the next captain. As a player who's been there since the start of his career, Stutzle is well-known around the Senators organization and the community. He's also signed through 2031, making him a great long-term candidate as captain. He has worn the 'C' for Germany at junior International tournaments.
There are two drawbacks to Stutzle becoming the captain next season. Firstly, he's only 24 years old, which is quite young. However, Tkachuk was just 22 when he was named captain of the Senators. Secondly, it's a lot of pressure to put on a young player, who already puts a lot of pressure on himself without the 'C' on his chest. Julian McKenzie, writer at The Athletic, mentioned this as one of the potential drawbacks of naming Stuzle captain this season.
Jake Sanderson
Sanderson is in a similar position to Stuzle. He's also been a Senator for his entire career and is signed to a long-term deal. His contract keeps him with the Senators until 2032. One of the top players on the Senators, Sanderson also wore the 'A' last season.
By selecting Sanderson as the next captain, the Senators are at risk of putting themselves in the same position they were with Brady Tkachuk. Sanderson is an American player who played for the US at the Olympics. With the recent uncertainty around American players playing for Canadian teams, the Senators could find themselves at risk of losing yet another captain. That being said, if Sanderson is in for the long haul in the Nation's capital, then he could be a good fit.
Thomas Chabot
Julian McKenzie made the case for Thomas Chabot's captaincy on the DLLS Stars podcast this week.
"I think a player like Thomas Chabot could easily be captain on this team," McKenzie said. "The longest tenured player on this team. A guy who, in terms of being an outward symbol, is perfect for the market that he's in as a bilingual speaker."
Chabot also wore an 'A' last season. At 29 years old, Chabot is a happy medium between one of the younger stars like Stutzle or Sanderson, and an older veteran like Giroux. His biggest drawback is only being signed through 2028-29, but there's no reason he couldn't sign an extension after that.
Claude Giroux
Naming Giroux captain likely isn't the best long-term plan for the Senators, but it could give them a chance to have a solid, veteran presence and build up the rest of the leadership team. Giroux, who spent three seasons with the Senators after his time in Philadelphia, re-signed with the team this off-season. He said that Ottawa is where he wants to be, signing a one-year deal to stay in Canada.
A one-year deal doesn't leave a lot of time for Giroux to wear the 'C', especially if he does choose to retire next year. However, he has the most leadership experience of any of the candidates, having been the captain of the Philadelphia Flyers for 10 seasons.
The Senators could also choose to not have a captain in the 2026-27 season, but with so many options, they should just make a decision with the "C" and find its next captain.
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