With Darnell Nurse now with the San Jose Sharks, the Edmonton Oilers have at least a couple of things left to figure out for next season.

For one, who’s taking over the music? Nurse has long been known as the Oilers’ locker-room DJ, getting the team fired up before games. But more importantly, who will replace him as one of the team’s alternate captains?

Nurse became an alternate captain for the Oilers in the 2019-20 season, with both he and Leon Draisaitl joining the team’s leadership group. They joined Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who has sported an “A” on his chest since the 2013-14 season, and Connor McDavid, who became captain in 2016.

With that in mind, below is a list of the Oilers’ four best candidates to fill the alternate captain role left vacant by Nurse.

A big candidate for the next alternate captaincy is Zach Hyman, who has occasionally stepped in and worn the “A” when other alternate captains have been sidelined with injuries.

That said, ever since signing on in Oil Country in 2021, Hyman has been a leader in every aspect. Whether it’s scoring goals, doing the dirty work in the corners, leading the team in playoff hits, or being a vocal presence in the room, Hyman has consistently shown what leadership looks like.

Also, after the Oilers’ 2-1 Game 7 loss to the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final in 2024, Hyman was one of the players who helped the team hold their heads high, saying, “I [expletive] know we’re going to be back to it, I know it with my [expletive] heart.” And wouldn’t you know it, he was right — the Oilers returned to the Stanley Cup Final the following season.

Additionally, with or without a letter on his chest, the former 50-goal scorer is already viewed as a leader. He was one of three players, along with McDavid and Draisaitl, who met with Mike Babcock before his hiring as head coach during a reported honest, back-and-forth meeting, as Hyman had previously played under him for five seasons.

That said, with Babcock now behind the bench and given their previous bond, it wouldn’t surprise me if Babcock already has the “A” ready to be stitched permanently onto Hyman’s jersey.

Mattias Ekholm previously wore an “A” with the Nashville Predators from 2017 until he was traded to the Oilers, and whether he has a letter on his chest or not, he’s been a leader ever since arriving in Edmonton.

In 247 regular-season games with the Oilers, he’s tallied 133 points while providing solid two-way play for the team. That said, Ekholm has shown leadership in a variety of ways since donning the Oil drop.

He’s stood up for his teammates, has never shied away from tough conversations with the media, and was one of the first Oilers to speak following their Game 7 loss to the Panthers. Perhaps his strongest example of leadership, however, has been the mentorship he has provided Evan Bouchard, consistently supporting his partner after tough performances.

For example, after a tough night for Bouchard last October against the New York Islanders, where he made several defensive errors, Ekholm defended his partner in the post-game interview. After giving examples of how impactful Bouchard can be offensively, he added, “I’d be careful criticizing him.”

Also, at one point during the 2024-25 season, former head coach Kris Knoblauch described the steady Swede as a leader, saying, “He doesn’t wear a letter on our team, but he’s definitely one of our leaders. A lot of guys have a lot of respect for him, for the person that he is, the work that he puts in.”

Ekholm, who is set to reach the 1,000-game milestone in 2026-27 barring any setbacks, would be a natural fit to take over the alternate captaincy left behind by Nurse, and it’s hard to imagine anyone having any complaints about it.

The 25-year-old Vasily Podkolzin represents the next wave of younger leaders in Edmonton.

Last season, Podkolzin emerged as a leader both on and off the ice. For instance, the rugged Russian had enough of seeing his captain take hits against the Buffalo Sabres last November, so he took matters into his own hands by pulling Peyton Krebs out of a pile and threw some heavy punches.

After the game, Podkolzin was asked what led to the tussle with Krebs, and he responded, “No one can play against our leaders like that. The whole team will protect them for sure.”

From there, he continued that leadership throughout the season, consistently standing up for teammates while also recording a career-high 37 points (19 goals, 18 assists) in the regular season. He showed that leader-of-the-pack mentality in the playoffs as well, trying to put the team on his back in Game 3 against the Anaheim Ducks, with the Oilers on the brink of a 7-4 loss, and stepping up by picking a fight with Jeffrey Viel.

Beyond that, Podkolzin has a history of wearing a letter on his chest, having been named captain of Team Russia at the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, the U18 World Championships, and the 2021 World Junior Championship.

Podkolzin is a dark-horse candidate to become the Oilers’ next alternate captain and is the least likely option among the players listed in this article. But as the self-anointed president of the Vasily Podkolzin fan club, I’d love nothing more than to see him wear a letter in Edmonton.

With Nurse gone, I think it’s important for the Oilers to have another player on the blue line wearing an “A,” and out of the players listed in this piece, Evan Bouchard is the one above all others who I believe should become the next full-time alternate captain.

The 26-year-old is no longer a young player trying to establish himself in the league. He’s one of Edmonton’s most valuable pieces and has established himself as one of the NHL’s premier defencemen after leading all blueliners with 95 points last season while also leading the Oilers in power-play and penalty-kill minutes among the defence corps.

That said, Bouchard also has previous experience wearing a letter on his chest from his junior days in the OHL.

He was named captain of the London Knights for the 2017–18 season, and after a brief seven-game stint with the Oilers the following year, he returned to London and continued wearing the ‘C’ for the Knights. In the process, he became the first Knight to serve as captain in consecutive seasons since Danny Bois held the position from 2001–04. Additionally, he was an alternate captain for Team Canada at the 2019 World Juniors.

There have been some growing pains throughout Bouchard’s NHL career, but he has improved tremendously every season he’s been in the league. After putting his stamp on the NHL with a 95-point campaign in 2025-26, I believe he’s ready to take another big step forward as he enters his seventh season.

Bouchard is already Edmonton’s most trusted player handling the puck on the opposition’s blue line with the game on the line, but an alternate captaincy would show that the Oilers believe he is ready to take on a larger leadership role. Maybe that vote of confidence from the organization could be the missing piece that strengthens his psyche and helps him become a more consistent two-way blueliner on a nightly basis.

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