Vote: Who Should Be Next Sabres Captain?

The Buffalo Sabres will be searching for a new captain for the 2024-2025 season. Former team captain Kyle Okposo was traded to the Florida Panthers at the 2025 deadline and is now an unrestricted free agent. That leaves the Sabres looking internally for his replacement as they turn the locker room to new leadership.

Besides Okposo’s “C” on the sweater, Rasmus Dahlin and Zemgus Girgensons also wore letters throughout the 2023-2024 season as alternate captains. Girgensons signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning in the offseason, leaving Dahlin as the only remaining captain.

Alex Tuch and Tage Thompson also wore an “A” at times last season, filling in as alternate captains due to injury and trade. That would make the natural progression of the captaincy to Dahlin as the next captain with Tuch and Thompson serving as alternates.

Then there’s Dylan Cozens, whose fearlessness on the ice and willingness to get involved in a scrap in the heat of battle has dropped hints of leadership over the last couple of seasons. There’s been a clamor for the 23-year-old center to wear a letter, with some suggesting he deserves the “C”.

Other candidates to wear a letter for the Sabres include Jason Zucker, the oldest skater on the team, and Owen Power, the team’s former first-overall selection. To get a better idea of how the fans lean, let’s take a vote on who should be the next leadership group.

Before voting, let’s make some quick cases on why the candidates deserve the captaincy.

Rasmus Dahlin

Dahlin seems to be in line to be the heir apparent to the captaincy. On the ice, his competitiveness is unquestioned. He controls all three zones for the Sabres and quarterbacks the top powerplay. The reason he’s not their top penalty-killer on the backend is to give him a little rest. He’s among the league’s elite at the position, which only adds to the credibility.

Off the ice, he has the ears of the locker room. He’s not the most vocal, but he’s not afraid to speak up. The players gravitate to him, as evidenced by his place serving as a gathering spot for teammates. Okposo was “dad” to the Sabres’ young core, but Dahlin is the heartbeat of the core. Heading into the season, he’s the frontrunner to be the next Sabres captain.

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Alex Tuch

When Tuch came over in the Jack Eichel trade, he brought a refreshingly positive energy to the Sabres. The locker room dynamics were almost overhauled overnight, with Tuch always willing to prop up teammates and bring a constant buzz to the locker room.

On the ice, Tuch developed into an essential piece of the team. While showing signs of being a top-six forward in Vegas, his evolution into a top-line winger, top powerplay contributor, and key penalty-killer has given merit to all of Tuch’s words.

He’s the poster boy for the infamous Kevyn Adams phrase, “We want players who want to be here”, being from the Syracuse area and growing up a Sabres fan. He oozes the infectious vibrancy you’d like in a leader, although he may be better served in an alternate capacity to alleviate some of the seriousness of the role.

Tage Thompson

Of all of the exit interviews after last season, Thompson’s was the most pointed. He called for a focus on accountability and said the team has to be comfortable with calling out teammates when they are not performing up to standards.

He also criticized the coaching staff, saying the Sabres needed more structure and consistency in their gameplay. New head coach Lindy Ruff is known for implementing discipline, aligning with Thompson’s wishes.

Thompson is also the centerpiece of the offense and has the respect of the locker room. He’s come a long way since coming over from the St. Louis Blues, but it’s also important to note that Dahlin is the only remaining player from his first season in Buffalo anyway.

There’s a “put the team on his back” mentality that puts Thompson in elite company. Should he earn the captaincy, it shouldn’t come as a surprise.

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Dylan Cozens

It wasn’t too long ago that Cozens seemed destined to be the next captain of the Sabres. In 2021-2022, Thompson was emerging as a force and Tuch was the new guy. Dahlin was finding his way as the number one defenseman, and it was Cozens who was at the heart of some of the biggest moments of a lost season.

The next season, Cozens spiked for 31 goals and 68 points in 81 games. His two-way play and willingness to get involved in scrums earned rave reviews. Even last season, when he got things going it changed Buffalo’s outlook completely.

There’s a certain workhorse quality about Cozens that really resonates with the city. Representing Buffalo by wearing a “C” on his chest would be very redeeming for the Sabres and fans alike.

Other Candidates

While there are probably no other real contenders for team captain, a few could don an “A” without much surprise. Zucker is the most experienced of the bunch and could be leaned on for veteran leadership. Power is a rising star and is used in crucial situations. It’s probably a couple of years too early for him to step up though, given that he’s still finding his footing and is soft-spoken as it is.

Cases can be made for any of Bowen Byram, Henri Jokiharju, and Mattias Samuelsson as well. Byram comes from a cup-winning environment and knows what it takes. Jokiharju is all-of-a-sudden one of the longest-tenured Sabres. Samuelsson has the personality and aggressiveness to garner a leadership role, although he’s had trouble staying healthy.

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Voting for Captain

Here’s how the vote will work:

1. Comment below your selections for the Sabres captain and two alternates.
2. Use the following (or similar) format “C – Your Pick, A – Your Pick, A – Your Pick” to make tallying easy.
3. Don’t worry, you can comment as a guest.
4. Leave additional thoughts behind your picks if you’d like to share them.
5. The votes will be tallied and the results will be featured in a follow-up article.