Insider believes Red Wings will choose next captain regardless of Larkin's status

To no one's surprise, the Detroit Red Wings are looking forward to moving on from Dylan Larkin as captain.

According to Ansar Khan of MLive, that decision may be coming sooner rather than later. On last week's episode of Oilers Now with Bob Stauffer, Khan joined the show to talk about Steve Yzerman, the Larkin situation and next season for the Red Wings. When asked about the captaincy, this is what Khan had to say:

"Moritz Seider will be the next captain. I wouldn't be surprised if that happens even if Dylan Larkin comes back."

The Red Wings, it seems, are fully prepared to move on the moment they get the opportunity.

Why the Red Wings are eager to close the Larkin chapter

It's hard to blame the Red Wings for wanting to quickly wrap up the Larkin era. It will be remembered as an era of fruitlessness marred by years of March collapses and coming up short. The cherry on top of this whole Larkin fiasco is how he's gone about this whole process. He's failed to communicate with the fans that rooted him on for a decade. He's demanded the team only trade him to a select small list of teams. Worst of all, he's refusing to budge.

It makes sense that the Red Wings would want to select their next captain so quickly.

The fact that they're fully prepared to strip the captaincy from Larkin and assign a new captain reveals just how much of a disconnect there is between organization and player. There's little doubt that the front office is furious with Larkin. To do this while Larkin is (hypothetically) still on the team further provides insight into how much the relationship between the two groups has soured.

Moritz Seider is the inevitable pick for captain

It shouldn't be a shock to see Moritz Seider earn the captain's nomination. The towering defenseman is far and beyond the best player on the team. He's already served as an alternate captain with the club. Seider consistently stands up for his teammates on the ice and plays more minutes than all but two NHLers every night.

In the locker room, he brings high energy and passion. His leadership style is quite different from Larkin's. Where Larkin preferred a quieter approach, Seider is loud and proud to wear the Winged Wheel. There's been little, if any, doubt that Seider would carry the torch from the moment he made the NHL leap.

The big question isn't whether or not the Red Wings go with a new captain: it's how quickly it'll happen. Will Larkin be traded before the ceremony? Will he have to awkwardly watch from the sidelines as the captaincy is stripped and handed to someone more worthy?

In a matter of months, we'll have our answer.

Today's best reads

• The 3 best (and worst) moves of Steve Yzerman's tenure with the Red Wings
• The Red Wings should avoid committing to a re-rebuild
• Steve Yzerman left his Red Wings' successor a mess to clean up, starting with Dylan Larkin
• Red Wings doomed to rebuild if they botch Larkin trade
• What Steve Yzerman stepping down means for the Red Wings

This article was originally published on octopusthrower.com as Insider believes Red Wings will choose next captain regardless of Larkin's status.