NY Islanders 2022-23 Player report card: Anders Lee was a leader

In a season following disappointment from missing the playoffs in 2021-22, former head coach Barry Trotz getting fired, and first year coach Lane Lambert now behind the bench as the "new voice," the NY Islanders needed Anders Lee to lead them back to their former selves on their quest back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

NY Islanders 2022-23 player report card: Anders Lee

Lee is one of 32 nominees for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for the 2022-23 season. Part of the criteria to even be nominated is that the player has to show on-ice leadership for his team in addition to their off-ice contributions to their community.

Lee was one of the only forwards last season for the Islanders that found the scoresheet more often than the rest. He replicated that this season scoring 28 goals and 22 assists for 50 points, two more points than his overall total from last season. Lee did go through his stretches where he went pointless for a while, but he did score in game No. 82 when it mattered most as the Islanders were still fighting for playoff position in the last game of the regular season.

When the Islanders were on a six-game skid back in January, Lee was vocal about holding his team accountable to get their act together.

“There’s an energy aspect. There’s a mentality. There’s a balance,” Lee told NYI Hockey Now. “It’s a combination of a lot of little things, and you can’t sit there and solve it. You got to be able to show up and be ready to go.”

The Islanders proceeded to trade for Bo Horvat and despite battling through injuries to key players, Lee's words seemed to resonate with others down the stretch as the Islanders went on to win games by committee and finally get back into the playoffs. Because he replicated his point totals from last season and continued to be the leader the Islanders look to lean on, Lee receives a B- for his 2022-23.

NY Islanders 2022-23 player report card: Anders Lee

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