Buffalo Sabres: Predicting Kyle Okposo’s 2022-23 Season

Buffalo Sabres fan favorite Kyle Okposo may be the team’s oldest skater at age 34, but he might still have some fuel left in the tank.  

While Kyle Okposo isn’t going to log the same amount of ice time he did last season, he still has an important role on the Buffalo Sabres. Look for him to embrace a mentorship role, one that will help not just the young players currently on the roster, but even those who are looking to prove themselves over in Rochester.

But if last season showed us any indication, it is that Okposo will still put up modest numbers even on the fourth line. He played on predominantly the lower lines a season ago, logging 21 goals and 24 assists. And if injuries struck the Sabres this season, he would be another solid depth piece to man the second or third line in a heartbeat, meaning you wouldn’t see a huge drop-off in production.

Buffalo Sabres presumed captain will still produce

Don’t expect Okposo to log the same type of numbers as he did a season ago, but you can peg him into the 25-35 point range if he plays in at least 70 contests, which rounds out to 0.357 to 0.5 points per game.

The drop-off in production, however, isn’t that Okposo will regress by any means. Instead, it will drop because he will see lesser ice time if the Sabres stay healthy.

In my bold predictions piece, I stated Okposo would achieve a career high in shooting percentage. This would require him to shoot 15.9% or higher, which will be a challenge considering he often logs lower percentages a season after reaching the double digits.

If he hits the lower end of the spectrum, expect his production to be closer to 25 points. At the higher end, he will get closer to 35.

Overall, it will be a pedestrian season for the presumed team captain. But given his mentorship and leadership role with the team, that will be okay with both the fan base and Okposo himself.

(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)