The Detroit Red Wings open the 2026-27 season on Friday, Oct. 2 against the New York Rangers, and they will do it without a captain. Alex DeBrincat, who showed toughness and fight all preseason, is one of the players filling that void, and head coach Todd McLellan said Monday that he is a candidate to wear a letter.
Dylan Larkin wore the “C” from 2021 until the Red Wings removed him as captain this month, following the trade request he made in June. Larkin reported to camp and is still on the roster. Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider keep the “A”s they were given for 2025-26, and McLellan has left room to add a third.
Todd McLellan Says Alex DeBrincat Is a Candidate
McLellan was asked Monday where DeBrincat fits in that leadership group. Per Michael Whitaker of The Hockey News, the coach said, “He’s done a really good job of providing leadership in the void that’s there right now. It’s not out of character; he hasn’t changed from what he’s done last year. Maybe away from the rink a little bit more with the guys to bring them together, but at the rink, he’s still Cat, and he would certainly be a candidate to be that.”
This would not be new ground for him. The Farmington Hills native wore an “A” with the Chicago Blackhawks before Detroit acquired him in 2023, and The Hockey News has him among the top candidates for the vacant captaincy. If DeBrincat were to be named an alternate captain this season, there is no doubt that he would deserve it.
What DeBrincat Brings Beyond the Scoring
DeBrincat played all 82 games for Detroit last season. He scored 41 goals and recorded 44 assists, with a plus-8 rating. The 44 assists and the 85 points were both career highs, and they led the Red Wings. DeBrincat brings more to the team than just his scoring or his playmaking ability. McLellan also said,
“The thing with Cat, though, is we could probably put the whole alphabet across his chest, and he would still be Cat. And if we took every letter of the alphabet away from him, he would still be Cat. He’s not going to change who he is based on that little piece of felt.”
DeBrincat Is in the Final Year of His Contract
It is important to have him on this team. DeBrincat is in the last season of the four-year, $31.5 million contract he signed with Detroit, which carries a $7.9 million cap hit. He is only 28 years old and hopes to be a leader on the Red Wings for a while.
