The New York Islanders Have a Decision to make for Captain

The NHL season is approaching quickly, and the New York Islanders will begin training camp in the coming weeks. After a relatively quiet offseason, the roster does not have many new faces expected to be in the lineup on opening night. One obvious absence is former captain Anders Lee, who signed a new contract with the Utah Mammoth this summer.

The captain's absence will be felt on the ice but also in the locker room. Although general manager Mathieu Darche brought in some leaders like Brayden Schenn, Lee had been the captain since the departure of the hated John Tavares in the summer of 2018.

The change in leadership started at the end of last season when Peter DeBoer took over the head coaching position after Patrick Roy was relieved of his duties. It would make sense that DeBoer would name a new captain to pave the way for his tenure and help deliver his message.

The big question is who will be the new captain of the New York Islanders? Additionally, will the leadership team be completely overhauled, or will Kyle Palmieri and Ryan Pulock resume the assistant captain roles?

DeBoer had the luxury of squeezing into his new role at the end of the season last spring. Although the team did not qualify for the playoffs, it gave the veteran coach a chance to get a hold of things in the locker room and evaluate his group of players. The likelihood of a captain being named before training camp is slim, but that will be a big story as camp progresses. This could lead to a new leadership group across the board.

It is an undeniable fact that Matthew Schaefer is the face of the franchise and will become the captain at some point in the near future. Will it be as soon as this year? I don't believe that will benefit the player or the team right now. However, I would not rule out Schaefer getting an "A".

Bo Horvat seemed to be the natural successor to the captain role when he was acquired in the blockbuster trade with the Vancouver Canucks, where he was their captain. He has excelled as a player and a leader on Long Island and would be an excellent captain for the DeBoer era.

A player who has been part of this organization and does not get much mention in a letter is Casey Cizikas. This is most likely his last season, as his production has declined and this is his last year on his contract. It would be a nice way to end his career and open the "A" for Schaefer in year three.

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