I personally expect Getzlaf to retire at the end of the season and therefore the team needs a new captain. Maybe not immediately but 1-2 years after Getzy retires they should name a new captain. And if they name a new captain they should also name new alternate captains. I'll just go over a couple of options that seem realistic to me.

First of all, I want to say that I hope a young player is named captain because it makes the most sense to me. There are a couple of veterans who'd have a shot at captaincy (mainly Fowler) but I think it'd be better to name a member of the new core captain.

Trevor Zegras
He'll likely be the future 1C and the face of the franchise for a long time (except if the Ducks get Wright or Bedard) and he'll be one of the cornerstones of the new core. He's a favorite for the Calder in 2022 and it's possible he'll lead the team in points in his rookie season (although that will likely not be too hard). There lies quite a bit of pressure on him but if you watch him play and listen to / read interviews you'll realize he doesn't lack confidence (just look at his Michigan attempt) and I think he'll do well next season.
I think Zegras would be good choice for captain and I think it's pretty safe to say that he'll at least be an alternate captain.

Jamie Drysdale
He has the potential to be an elite offensive Defenseman and he will likely be the #1 D-man for the Ducks in the future. He has to improve his defensive game but if he can do that, there's no doubt in my mind that he'll be a great player. He just has a big amount of skill and is an excellent skater. I haven't really noticed any particular "captain traits" but we haven't seem him that much yet. I think he'll be in the conversation for captaincy anyways and he wouldn't be a bad choice imo.

Maxime Comtois
Comtois will be an important player in the future of the team as well although not as important as Zegras. But he always seemed like a natural leader to me and he was the captain of Team Canada at the 2019 World Juniors. Many criticized him for diving back then, but I haven't noticed any diving at all since he's been a full-time NHLer. (Correct me if I'm forgetting anything.) I have the feeling he has a good locker room presence already which will only get better over time and I also really like how he sticks up for his teammates. There is no doubt in my mind that if he can reduce penalties and get better defensively, he'll be one of the Ducks' best forwards for years to come. I think that a C or A would look really good on him and that he'd be a good choice for captaincy.

Troy Terry
A thing preventing him from being captain could be the fact that he isn't really that popular of a player leaguewide. He's very underrated and many fans around the league don't know how good he is, but if he can produce more, he should get more recognition. I think he'd be best as an alternate captain.

My choice for captains would be:
C - Zegras
A - Comtois
A - Drysdale
(I voted for Zegras in the poll.)

Feel free to comment who you'd name captain and why.
@OldNYIFan @Salzy @Lenny7

My choice would be Cam Fowler, due in large part to his long-term service (incl the insistence on a 4-team-trade list) and the fact that he still has term on his contract, but I can certainly see the argument in favor of Max Comtois. Zegras, Terry and Drysdale are too young. The only other remote possibilities are Hampus or Josh IF one of them has a smashing bounce-back year AND the team signs him to a long-term extension. Note my use of the word "remote." My understanding is that John Gibson isn't very vocal in the locker room, which is a pre-requisite for the captaincy.

I didn't consider Hampus or Josh because, as you said, they're both UFAs next season and they could both walk. Gibson can't wear a C but Luongo was the captain of the Canucks without wearing a C on the jersey, so I guess that would work but I don't really consider Gibson to be captain material.

I think Fowler is the likeliest to be named captain. He committed to the team for 8 years (if I'm not mistaken) and it seems he really loves the team and Orange County in general. I would love to see him with the C because he has been one of my favorite players for a couple of years now and I think he's probably be the best option in terms of experience and leadership.

If Zegras, Drysdale or Comtois are named captain it should be 2 years after Getzy's retirement (if he retires in 2022). The only way I could see Zegras being named captain in 2023 is if he has a 100+ point season in 2022/23 and gets Hart votes but I doubt he'll be able to do that and it seems very unrealistic. I wouldn't consider Terry to be too young because he's older than Comtois, but I don't think he's as much of a leader as other players like Fowler or Comtois.

I think the most realistic scenario is that Fowler gets the C until his contract is up in 2026 or he resigns as captain and then Zegras gets named captain. Until then (from 2022 or 23 onwards) I would assume that two of Comtois, Zegras and Drysdale would be alternate captains.

Pretty much took the words out of my mouth

😂

Fowler is the best option. The reason I would also really like Zegras or Comtois is that it would "introduce" the new era of the Ducks and it would show that management has faith in the kids.

@Salzy @OldNYIFan

Another reason why Zegras should be named captain (not specifically after Getzlaf but somewhere down the line): "Trevor's been great to me since I got picked. He reached out the day of the draft and since then we've been talking briefly about when we're getting to Anaheim, potentially hanging out and showing me around. He's been awesome to me. Couldn't ask any more of him." -Sasha Pastujov, recent article by Eric Stephens

That's captain material right there.

Going to challenge you on one point. Spurgeon is the MN Wild captain and he is a quiet guy who leads by example. The Wild have given both Dumba and Foligno, both notably more vocal, an "A". I'm not saying that the Wild have proven that it works but it really wouldn't be uncharted waters. If Gibby can be a quiet leader then so be it. For what it's worth though I think Fowler is your man.