Stanley Cup handoff offers many options for playoff captains

Every hockey player dreams of winning the Stanley Cup. Once NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman hands it to the captain of the winning team, the question becomes who will receive it next.
In 2001, Colorado Avalanche captain Joe Sakic didn't lift the Cup, but handed it to 22-year veteran defenseman Ray Bourque. In 2018, Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin gave it to long-time linemate Nicklas Backstrom. Last season, Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos handed it to defenseman Victor Hedman.
Who could get the first handoff this season? A rookie, veteran or someone who has lifted it before?
Here's a look at who could get the first pass for each of the 16 teams in the Stanley Cup Playoffs:

Boston Bruins: Captain Patrice Bergeron to forward Brad Marchand
The Bruins haven't won the Cup since 2011, but two key pieces remain from that run; Bergeron and Marchand. The forwards rank in the top 10 in goals, assists and points in Boston history and have been two of the most important players for the franchise, so it would only be fitting for Bergeron to hand the Cup to Marchand.
Second choice: David Pastrnak
Calgary Flames: Alternate captain Mikael Backlund to forward Johnny Gaudreau
Without a captain, the question is, who gets the Cup first. Gaudreau may have made a greater impact but he's played fewer full seasons (eight) than Backlund (13), the longest-tenured Flames player. Those two likely will be the first two players to hold the Cup, with goalie Jacob Markstrom in the mix as well. Hopefully, injured forward and nine-year Flames veteran Sean Monahan can be present in the celebration as well.
Second choice: Markstrom
Carolina Hurricanes: Captain Jordan Staal to defenseman Jaccob Slavin
The Hurricanes have been one of the best teams in the NHL all season and have done it with balance. Eleven players have scored at least 10 goals and 14 have scored at least 20 points. That means Staal will have his choice of worthy candidates but expect it to go to the seven-year veteran Slavin before it gets passed to the other core players on the team.
Second choice: Derek Stepan
Colorado Avalanche: Captain Gabriel Landeskog to defenseman Erik Johnson
Nathan MacKinnon likely will play a big part if the Avalanche win the Cup, but the forward isn't the first choice to get the handoff from Landeskog. That would be Johnson, who's been with the team since 2010-11 and is their longest-tenured player. The 34-year-old defenseman plays tough minutes and leads the team in blocked shots and hits.
Second choice: MacKinnon
Dallas Stars: Captain Jamie Benn to forward Joe Pavelski
Benn has been the heart and soul of the team for 13 seasons, and although Pavelski has only been with them for three, he's made his presence felt. Pavelski, the highest-scoring, United States-born player in NHL playoff history with 61 goals, led the Stars with 81 points this season and helped them advance to the Cup Final in 2020, when they lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games.
Second choice: Tyler Seguin
Edmonton Oilers: Captain Connor McDavid to forward Leon Draisaitl
McDavid, who led the NHL with 123 points, has his sights on bigger goals than the NHL scoring race, including the Stanley Cup. If the Oilers win, the two players that likely will have carried them there are McDavid and his running mate Draisaitl, who finished fourth in the League in scoring with 110 points. The bigger question is, who would get it after Draisaitl? Expect the answer to be 16-year veteran and 40-year-old goalie Mike Smith.
Second choice: Smith
Florida Panthers: Captain Aleksander Barkov to forward Joe Thornton
Jonathan Huberdeau is the Panthers' all-time leading scorer and should be a finalist for the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP after finishing tied for second in the NHL with 115 points this season. But Barkov likely would hand the Cup to 24-year NHL veteran Joe Thornton, who's played the second-most regular-season and playoff games in NHL history without winning the Cup (1,900; Patrick Marleau, 1,974). Thornton, 42, would enjoy his lap before handing it to Huberdeau.
Second choice: Huberdeau
Los Angeles Kings: Captain Anze Kopitar to forward Dustin Brown
It's been 10 years since the Kings won the Stanley Cup for the first time and eight years since the last time, but the core remains, led by Kopitar, Brown, Drew Doughty (who is injured) and Jonathan Quick. Brown was captain for those two championships and should get it after Kopitar, especially after he announced he will be retiring at the end of the season. Longtime NHL veteran, defenseman Alexander Edler, likely would get it after the core four.
Second choice: Quick
Minnesota Wild: Captain Jared Spurgeon to defenseman Matt Dumba
If the Wild win their first Stanley Cup championship, who would Spurgeon give the Cup to? Minnesota isn't without its share of candidates. It should be Dumba, the veteran defenseman, followed by forward and alternate captain Marcus Foligno. Forward Kirill Kaprizov, who set the team record for goals (47) and points (108) in a season, or goalie and three-time Cup winner Marc-Andre Fleury also should be toward the front of the handoff line.
Second choice: Foligno
Nashville Predators: Captain Roman Josi to defenseman Mattias Ekholm
A season ago, Josi would have no doubt given the Cup to goalie Pekka Rinne, who had his No. 35 retired by the Predators in February after spending 15 seasons with the franchise from 2005-21. Now, it likely would go to 11-year veteran defenseman Mattias Ekholm, who has been Josi's teammate for the past decade. Forward Filip Forsberg, who scored an NHL career-high 42 goals this season likely also would have a big impact if Nashville is to win.
Second choice: Forsberg
New York Rangers: Alternate captain Chris Kreider to Mika Zibanejad
If the Rangers win the Cup for the second time in 82 years, alternate captains Kreider and Zibanejad likely would go 1-2 in the trophy pass. The three other alternates -- forwards Artemi Panarin and Barclay Goodrow and defenseman Jacob Trouba -- should be next in line. Last season's Norris Trophy winner Adam Fox, and Igor Shesterkin, a potential Vezina Trophy and Hart Trophy finalist, would be longshots to get the first handoff, but don't count them out.
Second choice: Goodrow
Pittsburgh Penguins: Captain Sidney Crosby to forward Brian Boyle
Crosby has lifted the Cup three times and each time he's handed off to a veteran. In 2009, it was forward Bill Guerin, who won the Cup with the New Jersey Devils 14 years prior; in 2016, it was defenseman Trevor Daley, a 12-year veteran; and in 2017 it was defenseman Ron Hainsey a 14-year veteran who had never been in the playoffs prior. Boyle, a 14-year veteran, is one of the most well-respected players in the League, and it would be fitting for Crosby to hand the Cup to him.
Second choice: Evgeni Malkin
St. Louis Blues: Captain Ryan O'Reilly to forward Vladimir Tarasenko
When the Blues won the Cup in 2019, then-captain Alex Pietrangelo handed it to 16-year veteran defenseman Jay Bouwmeester. Less than a dozen players remain from that team, with St. Louis having added a number of young and impactful players in the years since. While O'Reilly could give it to veteran defenseman Justin Faulk or Nick Leddy, who weren't on that Cup team, it should go to one of the most dynamic players in Blues history in Tarasenko.
Second choice: Colton Parayko
Tampa Bay Lightning: Captain Steven Stamkos to forward Corey Perry
If Stamkos gets the Cup for the third time in three seasons, there's a good chance a newcomer will get it first. Sure, he could give it to defenseman Victor Hedman, who has gotten the first pass each of the past two seasons, forwards Brayden Point or Nikita Kucherov or goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, as there's no doubt each would have played a critical role in the three-peat. However, look for it to go to Perry, a 17-year veteran who joined the Lightning this season after losing twice to the team in the Cup Final each of the past two seasons (2020 Stars; 2021 Montreal Canadiens).
Second choice: Pat Maroon
Toronto Maple Leafs: Captain John Tavares to forward Auston Matthews
Tavares may be the captain but Matthews is the face of the franchise. He scored 60 goals this season, the most by a United States-born player in a single season, and set his NHL high with 106 points. Matthews, one of the most dynamic players in the NHL is the obvious choice, although 38-year-old forward Jason Spezza, a 19-year veteran who was born in Toronto, is the sentimental choice.
Second choice: Spezza
Washington Capitals: Captain Alex Ovechkin to forward Nicklas Backstrom
There aren't any locks, but this is as close as it gets. Ovechkin handed the Cup off to his running mate Backstrom in 2018 when Washington won the Cup and the same should be expected this time around. If Washington wins the Cup, they likely will have done it as the underdog in every series with Ovechkin and Backstrom -- who rank first and second in games and points in Capitals history -- each playing a key role.
Second choice: John Carlson