Will the Buffalo Sabres trade Kyle Okposo in 2022-23?
The Hockey News revealed their offseason outlook regarding realistic expectations heading into the Buffalo Sabres 2022-23 season.
One speculation Adam Proteau of The Hockey News made involved a potential trade regarding Buffalo Sabres winger Kyle Okposo. While this seems beyond far fetched, especially with Okposo serving as the front runner to wear the C patch next season coupled with his 15-team no-movement clause, Proteau makes a fair point. Here is what he said on the subject:
“Buffalo will have a couple of veterans that make sense to trade some time in the 2022-23 season: if a team is interested in opening up cap space, they may deal for 2023 unrestricted free agent forward Kyle Okposo and his $6-million cap hit.” – via The Hockey News.
That got me to thinking, there may be scenarios out there for the Sabres to trade Okposo before the trade deadline in 2023. But now we must ask ourselves what type of scenario would motivate the team to trade Okposo? Let’s explore the issue further.
Why would the Buffalo Sabres trade Kyle Okposo in 2022-23?
The Buffalo Sabres would logistically trade Okposo if they, at the trade deadline, fell completely out of contention. The odds of this occurring are unlikely, but given Okposo’s $6 million cap hit against the team, the Sabres would move on from him.
Another situation that could involve Buffalo trading Okposo would be if his production dropped to what we saw in 2019-20 and 2020-21. While this would lower his trade stock, it may still attract a contending team that knows Okposo is capable of producing given his past success in Buffalo and New York.
That said, if the Sabres were to trade Okposo, regardless of his production, I would still expect them to have a higher asking price. If he performs well and the team tanks, look for a higher price regarding any potential trade to a contender.
Why the Sabres won’t trade Okposo
If I had to guess, the Buffalo Sabres will not trade Kyle Okposo except for the reasons mentioned in the previous slide. Given their success late last season and overall, when healthy in 2021-22, the Sabres figure to at least contend for a wild card. If that’s the case, Okposo is going nowhere.
Further, the Sabres, even if Okposo does not perform to the same standard next season, value his experience and ability to lead and mentor younger players. Overall, those leadership traits alone may keep him around regardless of his performance on the ice.
If Okposo underperforms or if the Sabres are out of contention, teams will undoubtedly inquire about his availability. But the Sabres may keep him regardless and simply insert him onto the fourth line while their younger players like Jack Quinn and J.J. Peterka, considering they are in Buffalo next season, take on larger roles.
Will the Sabres trade Okposo?
The gut feeling says, given what we know about Okposo’s status and popularity with the team, he most likely will stay in Buffalo regardless of how well he or the team performs. At worst, Okposo and the Buffalo Sabres underperform yet he still leads and provides a mentorship role.
While I don’t believe he will return in 2023-24 – which is when Alex Tuch will wear that C patch – he is well worth the $6 million cap hit in multiple ways. So while outlets like The Hockey News have outlined a couple of scenarios mentioned in today’s article, Okposo will most likely remain in the Queen City.
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If the Sabres do contend for a wild card, look for Okposo to remain an integral part of the team while he keeps his position on what will most likely be the third line. His presence and leadership qualities will help set the stage for life without him when October 2023 begins.