Edina product Anders Lee takes role of Islanders team captain to heart

The New York Islanders' previous captain was one of the best players in the world, the star around which an otherwise low-wattage franchise revolved.

Now the two most famous Islanders are their general manager and coach, Lou Lamoriello and Barry Trotz. Their captain?

He is Anders Lee, leader of a team of equals, a steady presence off the ice, a subtle and effective one on the ice.

"He's just been himself," teammate Matt Martin said. "He's always had that leadership quality. He goes about his business, obviously a guy that's well-liked in the room. He's got some jokes and things like that, but when he's on the ice, he's all business, and he sets a great example on and off the ice.

"He's been a great leader, and hopefully he will be for a long time."

About that: Lee, an Edina product who turns 29 in July and is earning $5 million this season, is an unrestricted free agent to be.

So there was some risk in awarding him the "C," because if he does not re-sign, the Islanders will lose captains in back-to-back years.

"If there was one person that you would trust, who would that be, and who would you go to? Anders' name came up a number of times," Trotz said. "I just watched during training camp: Who takes care of himself? Who does things the right way? Who cares about the group?

"Being the captain is caring about everyone else first, and Anders has that in his DNA, which is really good."

Trotz's previous captain was Alex Ovechkin, and the two won a Stanley Cup with the Capitals last June. Now the Caps are the Islanders' potential opponent in the second playoff round.

Ovechkin led the Capitals with 51 goals this regular season and is a Hall of Fame lock. Lee led the Islanders with 28, down from 40 last season, thanks in part to his buy-in to Trotz's defense-first mantra. He would settle for lifting the Cup and securing a place in Islanders lore.

Lee was drafted 151st overall in 2009 by the Islanders, for whom he made his debut on April 2, 2013.

A question to Lee about his role produced a paragraph-long quote out of Lamoriello about no one man standing above the rest. "We're all equal," he said. "We're all working together and there's nothing that sets anyone apart."

Beyond that, Lee said he has tried not to change anything about himself.