Guerin: Wild will name new captain before season begins

Although the Minnesota Wild find themselves without a captain for the first time in years, general manager Bill Guerin says the team will name a new leader before the 2020-21 season begins.

"We'll name a new captain and we'll move forward," Guerin said, according to NHL.com's Tom Gulitti. "Big shoes to fill, but my personal belief is it's an important position to fill and you just don't want to leave the team in limbo."

Mikko Koivu, the team's first permanent captain in franchise history, held the title for the last decade but signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets this offseason.

The Wild have a number of veteran players that could be called upon to take on the new role. Ryan Suter and Zach Parise have been associate captains since signing 13-year deals in 2012, while the team also has some homegrown options such as Jared Spurgeon.

Guerin didn't reveal who he's considering naming captain, but he said there are "some good guys here, some really good people here."

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