Elliotte Friedman reveals the likely next captain of the Anaheim Ducks: it is not who we expected

With such a young and fun roster, the Anaheim Ducks are going to be a problem in the future, but for right now, they just don't have the pieces to compete for a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. That makes Elliotte Friedman's latest report about the team even more head scratching, as the Sportsnet reporter revealed who he believes will be the next captain of the Ducks.

Last season, the 'A' was worn by three players; veteran Cam Fowler and the two rising stars in Mason MacTavish and Troy Terry, but according to Friedman, it's Radko Gudas that could be the first player to wear the 'C' since franchise icon Ryan Getzlaf back in 2021/22. This would be an interesting call indeed, because Gudas is signed on for just a further two years with the Ducks, and after that, it's unlikely he remains with the team as they look to push this young, skilled roster towards the playoffs.

While it's likely that the team can't decide between MacTavish or Terry at this point, there's no need to rush, as the roster that also includes Trevor Zegras, Bennett Sennecke, Leo Carlsson and many more young talents is on the rise, but won't be ready for a few years. In 2023/24, Gudas did have a solid campaign with 6 goals and 18 points in 66 games played, so it wouldn't be the worst decision ever made by the organization, but with the team building solid leaders of the future, this would feel like a rushed decision for them.