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Buffalo Sabres UFA Options: Why Kyle Okposo Is A Big No-No

By Richard Spalding

Apr 20, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; New York Islanders right wing Kyle Okposo (21) shoots the puck during warmups prior to game four of the first round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Florida Panthers at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 20, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; New York Islanders right wing Kyle Okposo (21) shoots the puck during warmups prior to game four of the first round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Florida Panthers at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports /
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Should the Buffalo Sabres bother to speak with John Tavares‘ wing man?

Now that the New York Islanders have succumbed to the Tampa Bay Lightning, it is time to consider whether or not right winger Kyle Okposo, who is set to become a UFA on July 1 and is someone whose name I mentioned prior to the playoffs commencing, is someone that the Buffalo Sabres should target in free agency.

Let’s cut to the chase: Okposo produces points during the regular season.  In the past seven years, Okposo has topped 40 points five times, gone over 50 points four times, and has topped 60 points twice in the past three.  He’s a threat for 20 and 30 a season for at least another 3-4 years, and he’s certainly not soft, as his 51 penalty minutes were good for second-most on the Islanders.

Where would Okposo’s numbers put him had he played on the Buffalo Sabres in 2015-16?  Only at the top of the leaderboard.  Saying that acquiring Okposo could literally make the Sabres a playoff contender is not hyperbole; hell, if Okposo only scored half as many points in 2016-17 as he did this season, the Sabres would have a solid chance of playing in the postseason.

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For those of you worried that removing Okposo from John Tavares will give the Sabres another, albeit slightly-younger, version of Matt Moulson, remember: Moulson needed Tavares to become a 30-goal scorer while he played for the Islanders, while Okposo has tied or exceeded Tavares in assists two of the past three seasons.   That’s not to say that Okposo has not benefitted from playing alongside one of the NHL’s best centers, but you can’t convince me that a line featuring Ryan O’Reilly (or Jack Eichel) and Kyle Okposo would not be a deadly one.

So why wouldn’t the Buffalo Sabres try to make a run at Okposo, who probably will be wearing a different sweater next year, due to the fact that the Islanders already have $54 million committed to seven forwards, seven defensemen, and two goaltenders (according to SI.com’s Alan Muir)?   For starters, there’s the fact that Okposo just disappeared in the postseason.  He managed only one goal and one assist in New York’s series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, a series the Lightning won in five games following a 4-0 shutout Sunday afternoon.  Okposo’s $6+ million price tag is going to be tough to justify, as people will point to Tampa Bay’s philosophy of “Stop John Tavares, and you stop the Islanders,” which worked.

Another thing making Okposo’s hefty price tag less appealing is the fact that he will be on the wrong side of thirty in two years.  I just watched enough players over 30 – Corey Perry, Jaromir Jagr, Eric Staal, and Rick Nash, to name a few – produce a whole lotta nothin’ in the playoffs; do I want to see the Sabres sign Okposo to a 5-6 year deal with an NTC or NMC, just to watch a player who can produce in the regular season but disappear when it matters most, because his career is on a downhill slide?  Obviously, there is no guarantee that this will happen with Okposo, just as there is no guarantee that Buffalo’s young players will rise to the occasion and establish themselves as heroes in the playoffs.  Still, no betting man is wise to pick against Father Time, so if the Sabres snag Okposo, they are looking at what could be a small window of opportunity in which he can be counted on to be a legitimate scoring threat.

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The argument that Okposo alone gives this team the scoring punch it needs to move up 3-4 spots in the standings is compelling, and who would not want to watch the Sabres host a few home playoff games in 2017?  If Buffalo’s goal is simply to make the playoffs for a few years and convince everyone that the rebuild is over, Okposo fits the bill.  However, if Buffalo is looking for a free agent acquisition that completes the puzzle and makes this team a potential Stanley Cup contender, Okposo is not their guy.  I won’t deny that I have been intrigued by the possibility of bringing Okposo into the 716, but with gaping holes on the left side of the ice, both front and back, the Buffalo Sabres will be looking elsewhere this summer.

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