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Poll: Who should be Columbus’ next captain?

Columbus Blue Jackets v Pittsburgh Penguins - Game One

PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 16: Jack Johnson #7 celebrates with Brandon Dubinsky #17 of the Columbus Blue Jackets against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game One of the First Round of the 2014 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Consol Energy Center on April 16, 2014 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

Justin K. Aller

The Columbus Blue Jackets have gone two seasons without a captain since they traded Rick Nash.

“I’m comfortable (without a captain),” Blue Jackets coach Todd Richards told the Columbus Dispatch in October. He didn’t want to conform to a timetable when it came to making his choice, instead saying that he would hand out the ‘C’ only “when the time is right and if you’ve got the right player and he’s ready at that time.”

In other words, either the timing wasn’t right last season or they didn’t have any player that was ready for the responsibility. Perhaps that’s changed.

Brandon Dubinsky, who came to Columbus in the Nash trade, has emerged as one of the team’s leaders and has made a long-term commitment to the franchise by agreeing to a six-year, $35.1 million contract over the summer.

“Everybody’s anxious to have a captain, but we have a lot of guys who lead,” Dubinsky argued after signing that deal. “Everybody leads in their own way, but collectively we play hard for each other and find a way to get it done. It’s a big honor to be in this position and have this role with this team, but there’s a lot of guys on this team, and it’s much bigger than myself.”

Defenseman Jack Johnson is another contender for the role. He’s got two-plus seasons under his belt with Columbus now and is signed through 2017-18. He’s also one of the biggest workhorses in the league as he ranked 13th in minutes per game in 2013-14.

The Blue Jackets have some other noteworthy veteran leaders locked up to long-term deals like forwards Scott Hartnell and Nathan Horton, but Hartnell is a new addition and Horton has only played in 35 games thus far.

There’s also a chance that the Blue Jackets might go with rising star Ryan Johansen to put an emphasis on their young core, although his contract situation needs to be dealt with first.

So who do you think will be the Blue Jackets’ next captain? Did your preferred choice go unmentioned? Do you think they’ll go through another season without naming a captain?

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