Buffalo Sabres forward Kyle Okposo turns 34 on April 16th, 2022, making him the grizzled veteran of the team’s skaters.
Some players might just get better with age, and Buffalo Sabres alternate captain Kyle Okposo is having his best season with the franchise since he signed in 2016-17. In 64 games this season, Okposo has 18 goals and 23 assists, good for 41 points.
Okposo has been so good that he’s already eclipsed his combined points total over the previous two seasons in which he amassed 32 in 87 contests. And while the Sabres are looking to get younger, they can afford to keep a player like Okposo around.
Kyle Okposo must remain with the Buffalo Sabres
Before the NHL trade deadline, my biggest consistency regarding Okposo was my inconsistency. Part of me wanted the Sabres to part ways with the forward, knowing that, with more value this season, moving him meant draft picks and prospects.
However, trading Okposo could have spelled trouble for the Sabres. Currently, goaltenders Craig Anderson (40) and Dustin Tokarski (32) are the oldest players on the team other than Okposo. And both will see their contracts expiring at the end of the season.
Cody Eakin and Mark Pysyk, the remaining Sabres over 30 this season, are also playing on expiring contracts. Ditto for Colin Miller (29).
What I’m getting to is, the Sabres are in danger of losing veteran leadership all over the ice. Had they moved Okposo and none of the above re-signed, Jeff Skinner (29) would be the oldest Buffalo Sabre under contract for 2022-23 unless the Sabres went out and signed a few veteran free agents.
But given the direction this franchise is headed, it would be a hard sell to convince a 30-something veteran looking to contend for a Stanley Cup that Buffalo is the right place for him. Okposo remains under contract through the 2022-23 season. And while the Sabres owe him a base salary of $4 million per Cap Friendly, his experience is well worth the money.
And if Okposo mimics his production next season, why not keep him around even longer? Even if he and Jeff Skinner will be the elder statesmen leading a bunch of twenty-somethings in the not-so-distant future.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)