TO CLOSE

Red Wings GM Ken Holland explains when the team will name a captain and who will be. Filmed April 8, 2019 in Detroit.
Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press

Signs indicate that Dylan Larkin was appointed Captain of the Detroit Red Wings here next season.

Speaking Monday after the Wings emptied their locker rooms at the Little Caesars Arena, general manager Ken Holland raised the question of when the Wings will have another player with a "C" on his jersey. They left without one in 2018-1919 after the retirement of Henrik Zetterberg before the start of the season because of persistent back problems.

The Wings went with four substitutes, naming Larkin and Frans Nielsen to join Niklas Kronwall and Justin Abdelkader. In the case of Larkin, 22, awarding him an "A" was considered a forerunner of the captain's name.

Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin (71) watches the first period against the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Little Caesars Arena on April 2, 2019 in Detroit. (Photo: Raj Mehta, USA Today Sports)

"We made Dylan an assistant captain," Holland said. "Our other three players are older players. I think in the end, the next captain of the Detroit Red Wings will be a young man. "

Veteran Thomas Vanek pointed to the growth recorded at Larkin, on and off the ice, stating "Of course I can see him being a good captain, a good leader."

More: Ken Holland on the Detroit Red Wings by Steve Yzerman: "We laugh"

More: Jack Hughes is the "generational" talent that could help save Hockeytown

Holland left open the possibility that if the Wings sign a superstar via an independent agency, "maybe it affects your thinking," but it's hard to imagine a stranger who deserves such an honor. Zetterberg and his predecessors, Nicklas Lidstrom and Steve Yzerman, were both nominees who spent their entire career with the Wings. The Wings drafted Larkin in 2014 and is the leader in their reconstruction.

"It's a legitimate candidate," Holland said. "He plays hard. He is a great player. He is going to be the face of this franchise. He would certainly be a leading candidate for the captain position, but I am not ready to make this announcement today. "

Contact Helene St. James at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Learn more about the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter.