Three candidates to be the next captain of the Buffalo Sabres

2. Zemgus Girgensons

Zemgus Girgensons is my "dark horse" candidate. While he might be an unpopular name when it comes to the captaincy, let me explain. As crazy as it sounds, Girgensons is the longest-tenured Sabre. At 30 years old, Girgensons has spent his entire career with Buffalo.

After getting drafted in 2012, Zemgus has been through it all with the Sabres. The only thing with Girgensons is he will be an unrestricted free agent after this season. So with that being said, maybe he won't be the next captain.

However, the Sabres do love Zemgus. They love what he brings to the table and he's made it clear that he wants to be in Buffalo. It goes to show you what kind of player he is and that mindset is what you want in a captain. Girgensons is a good depth player and he battles every time he's on the ice.

Of course, he would probably need a multi-year deal to be named captain but after what he has gone through being on the roster, it would be very rewarding for him to be the one who has the C on his jersey next year.

3. Rasmus Dahlin

The last candidate, Rasmus Dahlin. Just like Girgensons, Dahlin is another assistant captain. While he came to Buffalo a few years after Zemgus, Rasmus has established himself as a star defenseman in the NHL. While everyone viewed him as an elite player, Dahlin added a mean side to him.

Aside from his skill, he is another player who has the qualities of being a captain. The way he handles situations when things are going bad is exactly how a captain should do it. It's insane how mature he is at the age of 23, but I think there is a very good chance he will be named the new captain.

If you ask me who I think the team will name captain, I think it will be Dahlin. Just from hearing his comments in press conferences and his attitude in general, he would be a perfect fit for the captaincy. Dahlin would be the first defenseman to be named captain of the Buffalo Sabres since Craig Rivet wore the C from 2008-2011.