It seemed somewhat curious for the Islanders to name Anders Lee as their captain before the season, given the winger was (and is) eligible to become a free agent next July in the aftermath of the preceding captain having left as a free agent last July. It does no team any good to have three captains in three seasons.
But it was a master stroke by general manager Lou Lamoriello, coach Barry Trotz and the new organizational hierarchy on the Island. For it not only filled a void created by John Tavares’ departure, it preempted uncertainty about the team’s leadership before it could blossom into an issue.