Captain, My Keeper?

It's a bit odd, but whatever. Maybe it works for the Canucks, despite the bad omen that immediately followed. And maybe I'll feel differently in a year. But at this point, if Bill Guerin does not play beyond this year, I really hope the Islanders don't do what the Canucks did and name their franchise goalie captain. Of course, if it did happen, it would only continue the odd fate intersections involving these two highly touted Islander draftees.

You can argue that by presence and by contract, Rick DiPietro is the team leader anyway, so why not name him so? But I'm partial to a little more balance and distribution of the leadership. The importance of your goalie -- now matter how rich, how decorated, how skilled -- goes without saying. DiPietro's particularly so. I don't think he needs the added honor of being "named" captain, particularly when league rules prevent him from wearing the "C" and thus require an awkward alternate arragenemnt.

But maybe I just fear change.

Elsewhere in the Island Future

Tonight is the one and only preseason game on actual home ice. With live video/audio scarce to non-existent throughout this preseason, Botta and the BlogBoxers should be all over it with recaps, if not live blogs. Plenty to look for in tonight's home unveiling of Flash Gordon's system, although it turns out waiver claim Thomas Pock will not make his debut, and first-rounder Josh Bailey is an injury scratch, likely sentencing him back to junior. Alas.

Meanwhile, Adam at Growing Up with the Isles has another in his series of prospect updates. This one's on offensive defenseman Mark Katic, a 2007 third-rounder.