Kyle Okposo

Okposo recently completed his fourteenth full NHL season. He posted 20-plus goals (21) for the first time since 2015-16 with the Islanders. Okposo finished with 45 points, including 14 with the man advantage, in 74 games. He is a highly respected veteran leader, but a repeat performance seems highly unlikely. Okposo is now 34 years old and has a long history of injuries, including multiple concussions. He could also see his ice time slashed given the fact he is a pending unrestricted free agent next summer. Don't pay for past production.

At 33 years old, Okposo has now experienced a steady decline since 2015-16. He managed a mere 13 points, 45 shots on goal and 29 hits in 35 contests last season, his lowest output since a nine-game cup of coffee stint as a 19-year-old in 2007-08. The veteran winger ended 2020-21 with a facial injury that cost him the last 13 games of the campaign. While he's expected to be healthy for training camp, there's no guarantee he'll see even top-nine usage on a likely terrible Sabres team. The addition of Vinnie Hinostroza and potential introduction of top prospect John-Jason Peterka puts Okposo's spot in the lineup in jeopardy, although he still carries a $6 million cap hit for two more years, so he'll probably play. Fantasy managers can easily pass him by, as there's little chance of a bounce-back campaign here.

Okposo drew into 52 games with Buffalo last season, picking up 19 points while averaging 12:51 of ice time per contest. The 32-year-old vet will skate on the Sabres' third line in 2020-21, and he should once again threaten the double-digit goal and 20-point marks during the shortened season, but that won't be enough to make him an appealing option in most fantasy formats.

Okposo dropped off significantly last season, finishing with only 29 points in 78 games to end a streak of five consecutive campaigns with no fewer than 44 points. The 31-year-old winger is clearly on the decline, though Okposo's 6-foot, 219-pound frame is still useful in front of the net with the extra man, as evidenced by his seven power-play goals in 2018-19. While a bounce-back campaign looks unlikely at this point, Okposo still has value in deeper formats if he can avoid further erosion of his skills.

Okposo notched his second straight 40-point season with the Sabres but has yet to become the scoring forward they envisioned when they signed him to a lucrative contract. Okposo's minus-34 rating was the worst on the team but the good news is that it's unlikely to get any worse. The Sabres improved over the summer and Okposo's penciled in as the top right winger alongside Jack Eichel and Jeff Skinner, which should give him an offensive boost and help him eclipse 50 points for the first time as a Sabre. However, the 30-year-old doesn't seem to be as effective as he once was, and if he scores 20 goals it should be considered a successful campaign.

Okposo missed the last month of the season due to a serious illness, but he’s expected to be back at full health for the 2017-18 season. Before that unfortunate turn of events, his first season with Buffalo was a success, as he led the team in goals for much of the season before finishing with 19 markers and 45 points in 65 games. He was a fixture on the top line and will play the same role upon his return, and along with his scoring prowess, Okposo will provide a physical presence in the lineup. He’s been very consistent over the past four seasons, and if he’s indeed fully recovered, he should be able to get back to his 60-point ways regardless of which terrific center -- Jack Eichel or Ryan O’Reilly -- he lines up beside.

After leaving the Islanders for a seven-year deal with Buffalo, Okposo is likely to land a coveted top-line role alongside Ryan O’Reilly and Evander Kane’s line, assuming Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart remain paired together. He brings a lot of size and physicality to the table, but also offers some veteran leadership and experience for the team’s young stars, having helped John Tavares reach new heights in New York. Okposo scored 22 goals and 64 points while averaging 18 minutes per game on Long Island, and he's expected to match or exceed those totals with the Sabres, with an eye on his first career 30-goal season and his third 60-point campaign in four years.

Until an eye injury put him in the presss box for a quarter of last season, Okposo was on pace for another career year. The 6-foot-0, 217-pound Okposo has a rare combination of size and speed that alongside John Tavares, has helped give the Islanders a formidable core on the top line. Despite the missed time last season, Okposo still produced a respectable 18 goals and 33 assists in 60 games. He also showed himself as a threat on the power play, scoring six goals and 12 assists with the man advantage. Once again set to play with Tavares and a rotating cast of players on the left wing -- likely Brock Nelson or Anders Lee -- Okposo should once again get plenty of point-scoring opportunities as he works toward his next contract, an expected windfall for the 27-year-old Minnesota native. Okposo is a strong fantasy option as a top liner on one of the highest scoring teams in the league, so he should be a safe bet to reach at least the 20-goal plateau if he can stay on the ice.

Okposo was nothing short of fantastic last season for the Islanders, producing 27 goals and 42 assists, outpacing his previous career-bests in both categories. What makes these numbers even more impressive is that the Okposo missed 11 games, and lost linemate John Tavares to a knee injury for the final month and a half of the season. Fantasy owners are bound to wonder what Okposo can do playing a full season with Tavares. The Islanders certainly have their issues but scoring shouldn't be one of them, especially with Okposo around to take some of the pressure off of Tavares. He will more than likely be a top-20 winger come draft time, and a 30-plus goal season may be within the realm of possibility.

Okposo had a terribly disappointing regular season for the Islanders, scoring only four goals in 48 games. His name was rumored to be on the block at the trade deadline, letting you know how far his stock had fallen. What makes matters even worse was that he started the season playing on the top line with John Tavares and Matt Moulson but was removed for questionable play. Now the good news. The playoffs seemed to light a spark under Okposo as he netted three goals in six games. The Isles will be hoping he will use that as a springboard to the 2013-14 season as he will play on a line with Josh Bailey and either Frans Nielsen or Ryan Strome.

After essentially missing all of the 2010-11 season due to injury, Okposo came back to have his best season in the NHL with 24 goals and 45 points. The production did come at a price however as his plus-minus took a beating. Okposo is a solid player who is more than likely ticketed for second line duty once again. This could be a good thing as he can relax and play his game rather than try to live up to the expectations of being a first round pick and playing on the top line, as it's starting to look like he might not be suited for that role.

The Islanders signed Okposo to a five-year contract in May, signaling that the club still expects big things from the former No. 1 pick. He missed half of last season with a shoulder injury, but only managed five goals in the 38 games he did play. Okposo has also never scored more than 19 goals in a season and has been somewhat of a disappointment. The Islanders do have more talent now and perhaps playing with better linemates will allow Okposo more freedom to find the back of the net.

Okposo is another former first-round pick (2007) that the Islanders are relying on to bring the organization back to respectability. Okposo had his best season to date in 2009-10 with 19 goals, 33 assists, and 249 shots. The Islanders are slowly but surely building a solid team by using the draft to restock their system. This should pay off eventually but it may not be this season for fantasy owners. Still, expect Okposo's production to slowly climb even while the rebuilding process is taking place.

Okposo had some ups and downs in his rookie year. He came out of the gate slow with five points in the first 20 games and seemed very timid at times. He gained confidence as the season progressed and had a strong finish with 16 points over the final 14 games. He was eighth in rookie scoring with 39 points, but first on the Isles in goals (18). He also wound up second in points and power-play goals (9), and third in shots on goal (165). He has enough talent and character to avoid the proverbial sophomore slump, so that should not be a problem in 2009-10. Expect him to crack the 20-goal barrier and pad his overall point total as well.

The future of the Islanders begins with Okposo, the top prospect in the organization. He has everything the team lacks: skating ability, scoring ability and toughness. He left the University of Minnesota and had a brief introduction to professional hockey, scoring a respectable 28 points in 35 games with Bridgeport. He also had a nine-game audition with the Isles (five points). Keep in mind that there’s always an adjustment period to the quality of play in the NHL, and that at some point rookies almost always hit the proverbial wall. Regardless, he’s a high-character kid who seems hungry to be successful in this league. Those in keeper leagues need to be mindful of him on draft day.

Okposo is clearly the Islanders' number one prospect right now. He had a fantastic freshman season at the University of Minnesota with 39 points in 38 games. Okposo works hard along the boards, is a fantastic stick handler, and has pretty good size at 6-0 and 200 pounds. Okposo will likely return to Minnesota for his sophomore season, but if the Islanders are worried about their offense this year, they should seriously consider giving him a roster spot if he appears ready in training camp.

Will attend the University of Minnesota in the Fall.

Okposo is a competitor who escalated his draft stock significantly in 2005-06. He won the USHL's rookie-of-the-year award with Des Moines, and is headed to the University of Minnesota in 2006-07. When you watch him play, you'll immediately recognize the power-prowess combination that makes a guy like Jarome Iginla so successful. Time will tell if he can develop that game in the NHL but he's probably the winger with the highest overall ceiling in the 2006 draft class.