Kyle Okposo
Since scoring his first NHL goal helmet-less, Kyle Okposo became my favorite player. To me, he represented what it meant to be an Islander, and when he and Frans Nielsen both left in the summer of 2016, that was a tough pill to swallow.
A seventh overall pick back in the 2006 NHL Entry Level Draft, Okposo was always a player that never truly got the recognition he deserved. In his nine years with the club, the Minnesota native recorded 369 points in 525 games.
His best season on the island came in 2013-14 when he put up 27 goals and 42 assists. He shot at a 13.8 percent clip, his second-highest of his career. Later that year, when it was time for the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Okposo was snubbed from the roster. It had been a bounce-back year for the then 25-year old after scoring just four times in 48 games in the shortened 2012-13 campaign.
Be that as it may, it did not stop Okposo from giving it all he got each and every night. On January 2nd, 2014, the fueled Okposo scored the game-winning goal against the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks.
From the moment that goal went in until he left the ice following his on-ice interview, the crowd roared.
That was one of the proudest moments for me during his time on the island.
As much as I never wanted him to wear another NHL jersey, the team had other ideas. There was little talk with Okposo and the team, as he decided to sign a seven-year, $42 million deal with the Buffalo Sabres.
Buffalo then and now is a place where careers go to die. Sadly, the same can be said for my man Okposo.
Since joining the team, Okposo has watched his offensive numbers dwindle. This past year, he only had nine goals and 10 assists, setting a career-low mark in points. He also set a new career-low in time on ice, playing just under 13 minutes per game.
His struggling stats can be credited to the fact that since joining the Sabres in 2016, he has had four concussions. In the summer of 2017, he found himself in the Neuro ICU unit at a Buffalo hospital.
Given his injury history, it is actually crazy that this man still is playing in the NHL. While he is not old by any means, turning 33 this season, he may have to call it a career earlier than he wants.
For the first time in a while, the Buffalo Sabres have some weapons that may help Okposo reignite his burnt-out flame. Although his team’s division is rather tough this season, it will be nice to see Okposo when the Sabres and Islanders meet eight times this season