5 Potential Candidates for the New York Islanders Captaincy Honors

After previous captain Doug Weight retired, the Islanders will once again find themselves in need of a captain.

There are a few paths the Isles can take.

They can name another veteran player their captain, like they have been the past few season.  Weight or Bill Guerin for example. 

Or they could make a middle aged player the captain.  So he has an element of leadership, but also has a few years.  This way the Isles won't need another captain in a year or two.

The Islanders could follow the NHL hot path and name a young player as their captain.  Some young captains in the league are Jonathan Toews of the Blackhawks, Sidney Crosby of the Penguins and Alex Ovechkin of the Capitals.

Let's take a look at some possible candidates to be the captain of the New York Islanders.

1. Mark Streit

After coming off a season of not playing due to an injury, Mark Streit will hopefully be back in navy blue, white and orange.

Streit is a good candidate to wear the honorable "C".  The defenseman has already been serving as an Isles alternate captain for a few seasons.

Streit is 33 years old, so he still has a few seasons left.  He is a talented veteran player who can bring a strong leadership element to a young team.

2. Brian Rolston

Brian Rolston, the 38 year old winger was an excellent pickup by Garth Snow this offseason.

However, I don't think he should be the Isles captain this season.  Despite being the oldest on the team, the Isles shouldn't take the Weight/Guerin path again.

They should give the job to someone younger.  As Rolston only has a year or two left in the tank in the NHL.

I want the Islanders to have someone who has at least a few seasons left in the league, to provide a sense of stability.

However, Rolston will definitely get consideration for the job.

3. Kyle Okposo

Similar to Streit last season, Kyle Okposo missed most of the campaign with an injury.  However, the 23 year old forward is poised for a breakout season.

Okposo is another player who has experience as an alternate captain.  He is very vocal in the locker room taking on a leadership position.

The young outspoken player fits the bill to be a captain.  Okposo would be able to communicate well with the other young players on the team.

4. Frans Nielsen

The final wearer of the "A", Frans Nielsen is an excellent two-way forward who brings talent and speed on both offense and defense.

Nielsen will soon be hitting the prime of his career, as he is currently 27 years old right now.

Like Okposo, Nielsen is a pretty vocal leader on the team, something a young Islanders team can use.

Nielsen is another good candidate for the job.

5. John Tavares

Well, this one's a bit of a long shot. 

It's not very likely, but there's always the chance the Islanders could make John Tavares the team's captain.

Giving John the "C" would lure him to sign with the team for the long term.  It also wouldn't be too head scratching.  There are other young captains in the NHL like Toews, Crosby and Ovechkin, all the cornerstones of their franchises, like Tavares.

The only con is that Tavares is possibly too young at age 20.  He'll be turning 21 at the start of the season, despite having two years of NHL experience already.

Giving him the "C" may be a bit too much on his shoulders, as he already has to worry about being the guy who the team is built around.

It could happen though.

Conclusion

After taking a look at the five best possible options to wear the "C" on the Islanders, Streit, Tavares, Okposo, Nielsen, and Rolston, who do you guys think should be the team's captain?

Personally, I think it should be Okposo or Streit. 

I'd love to see Tavares named captain however, but it doesn't seem likely.

Okposo is young and vocal.  Streit is a seasoned veteran that brings leadership.  Either of them are most likely to be captain.

Who do you guys think should wear the "C"?