SYOSSET, NY — Garth Snow descended the steps down to the ground level at the Iceworks practice facility. One-on-one open ice drills between forwards and defensemen indicated the first session of Wednesday’s prospect camp was coming to an end.

From his upstairs perch, Snow witnessed the grouping led by Ken Morrow, director of pro scouting. The split roster included the Isles top prospect and best hope for a breakout performer, as Kyle Okposo is looking to parlay his brief nine-game call-up at the end of last season into a spot on one of the top three scoring lines.

The nearly week-long camp provided management the opportunity to evaluate the club’s farm system, where a heavily emphasized youth movement will put a premium on player development. Snow’s commitment to going younger contributed to his decision in dismissing Ted Nolan after a two-year coaching stint that featured a surprising playoff appearance in 2006-07.

Okposo and his roommate, 2008 first round pick Josh Bailey, represent the types of players a new coach will be entrusted with improving. Snow said he will be interviewing candidates for the vacant position shortly but outlined the types of attributes he will be looking for in a new coach.

“We’re going to look for our head coach to have great communication skills, create more structure in our game and hold people accountable,” Snow said. “He’s going to have to be a motivator and inspirational. There will be a whole lot of ingredients we are looking for and I’m looking forward to the search.”

Though the front office continues to stress a greater emphasis on youth, the Islanders roster is currently comprised of older players. Even with Frans Nielsen signing a four-year, $2.1 million contract extension Friday, eight of the 13 forwards on the roster will be 27 or older on Opening Night.

The Islanders acquisition of 37-year-old Doug Weight to pair with Bill Guerin (also 37) could potentially take away a roster spot for a young player like Jeff Tambellini or Blake Comeau. On defense, only Bruno Gervais and Chris Campoli are under 26. But when asked if the predominance of veterans on the roster would undermine a rebuilding project, Snow said he was trying to forge a mix of experience.

“You can’t just have all young players just like you can’t have all veterans,” Snow said. “Just because you have a young team doesn’t mean you can’t win. Don’t make that mistake. We’ll have a team that has a great mix.”

Snow said training camp performance would determine if a young player makes a team. But that could be a tricky situation since it is unlikely that owner Charles Wang would simply eat the guaranteed salaries of veteran players.

With Nolan gone, some of the veterans who enjoyed career seasons under his tutelage, like Mike Sillinger, will have to adjust to a new style relatively quickly. Also, the young players on last year’s roster struggled to achieve consistency. Sean Bergenheim, a 2002 first-round pick, notched just 22 points in 78 games and has 124 games of NHL experience to his credit, meaning the winger is no longer a kid feeling his way around the game.

Like Bergenheim, Tambellini is also 24 and the son of the Islanders’ dynasty member, finished in the top-10 in AHL scoring but added just one goal in 31 games for the Isles. Nielsen scored two goals in 16 games. Okposo is widely respected among scouts as a potential impact player but Bailey could still be a few years away from being NHL-ready.

A new coach can communicate all he wants, but the success of the team will depend on the offense that failed to crack 200 goals last season and finished near the bottom in most categories. Goalie Rick DiPietro will also be trying to stay healthy for an entire season for the first since signing a landmark 15-year contract.

Factor in reports that player complaints contributed to Nolan’s ouster and attracting a proven winner to come to Long Island could be difficult. Possible replacements include former Blues coach Joel Quenneville, Paul Maurice and John Tortella, who has a Stanley Cup championship on his resume when he coached the Tampa Bay Lightning. Without any offering any hints about the organization’s initial preferences, Snow said Nolan’s successor will need to be able to relate to the young and old alike.

“You communicate with players in different ways,” Snow said. “Not every person has the same personal makeup. You have to find ways to motivate players in different ways.”

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