There are some teams to whom a C on the sweater has a little extra oomph. But there aren't many teams in hockey where a captaincy means more than the Detroit Red Wings.

It's so precious, in fact, that Steve Yzerman dragged his skates in handing it out to Dylan Larkin when he took the team over in 2019, after it had been void for a year following Henrik Zetterberg's final season playing in the NHL. Some of the players to don the patch in a Red Wings jersey have been Gordie Howe, Alex Delvecchio, Yzerman himself, mononymously referred to as "The Captain," Nicklas Lidstrom and Zetterberg.

With the team having another void in its captaincy after Larkin requested a trade this offseason and was stripped of the role, the question is: "Who's next?"

There is an answer on the Red Wings roster, and he seemed to step into the role after the Wings' win over the Blackhawks. It's hard to imagine the next captaincy going to anyone but Moritz Seider. But the timeline is going to be tricky.

Who will be Red Wings' next captain?

After the Wings' 4-1 win over the Blackhawks, it was evident in the team's postgame locker room who the leader is for the moment.

"This is us. We're gonna do this together," Seider said, addressing the team. "Mikey (Michael Rasmussen), hell of a game, but Arvy (Viktor Arvidsson)..." handing Arvidsson the team's "swaggy jacket," which goes to the game MVP.

Seider also didn't mince words postgame while talking to reporters and didn't skirt around the elephant in the room.

"It's good to just put it in the past, turn the page and get really excited for whoever we get," he said. "Whatever pick we're gonna get. And then we'll have players that are happy to be there, and we just got to make sure we get them ready to be a part of our team."

While Seider as captain may not be a completely foregone conclusion, the evidence seems to be mostly pointing in that direction. He's in his sixth year with the team and has been an essential blue-liner for the Red Wings.

When will Red Wings name new captain?

There's a lot to be resolved before the Wings make any sweeping declarations.

For starters, GM Shawn Horcoff still has an interim tag on his position, and with how the Larkin situation has resolved — or rather, hasn't — it's hard to figure he'll be hired full-time. It would also make sense to name the new captain after Larkin is traded, unless the team wants to show its petty side.

The team's two-season hiatus from having captains in 2018 and 2019 was the first gap the Wings took, but it might become more common. The roster in Detroit is very volatile at the moment, and very few players are going to be safe long-term. It makes sense to let the chips fall and let the dust settle before turning attention to individual player titles.

Other captain candidates for Red Wings

If it isn't Seider, there is another option.

Alex DeBrincat just signed a seven-year extension with the Red Wings, and he has played outstanding hockey for them. His line with Emmitt Finne and Arvidsson has become the team's best, and he seems to have a lot of sway in the locker room.

DeBrincat also essentially forced his way into a trade to Detroit which, given recent history, might hold some sway. He has a few years on Seider, 28 to Seider's 25, and he's a native of Farmington Hills, Mich. Will that be enough to unseat Seider, who has captain experience with Team Germany? That will have to be seen.