The Career of Kyle Okposo

Hey played over 1000 games and finally got a Cup ring this year.
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[@bdonaghu]

Very thankful for his time in Buffalo. He led the team through some very dark seasons after trading away Eichel and Reinhart. Definitely helped the Sabres instill their new culture of wanting to play in Buffalo. I was very happy when he was traded to Florida to go win a Cup before hanging up the skates.

[@jasonbornne7767]

Okposo is a decent guy but Buffalo needed to move on from Granato/Okposo. Not enough discipline for the young guys. No accountability and no real hard practices. Let’s see who Lindy selects as captain. Accountability is back baby!!!!

[@DarrylSmith9199]

Kyle Okposo is by all accounts a class act and beloved by fans and teammates. I am so happy for him to have been given a real chance to win the cup, wish it was here in Buffalo. Hopefully, he will return to Buffalo in a management/ coaching role.

[@chrisdee7511]

K.O. was a class act for the Sabres. I would love nothing more than for him to join the Sabres front office. But, if he decided to return home to Minnesota, I wouldn't blame him, lived there for 4 years myself. Also, Kudos on your 40th anniversary sweater, the only one I own!

[@EdgeHead927]

Loved him as an Islander. Even though we weren’t a great team around the time we got JT I grew to love the game and the team. Okposo was a model player and one that was so easy to love. Wish him nothing but the best in retirement

[@GizmoBeach]

Buffalo struggled on offense last December, Okposo led the team in goals that month w/ 5 if memory serves. Never a huge scorer, but career-wise he isn’t far behind Jordan Staal (61 more points, but in 202 more games) and ahead of Lucic and Foligno from his draft, who’ve played in 100-plus more games. Considering his steady production, wearing the C for some time, and hoisting the Cup in his final game, that’s one fine career (albeit with some nasty injuries along the way.)

[@strider2175]

Happy that the Cats helped Okposo got his Cup!

[@dankerman321]

Watched him play with the Isles for years... never the top line star player but you can see he was always 100% in the game.

[@Boro0820]

Sabres fan here. There are very few who can compare with his integrity, demeanor or gamesmanship. Though some rough season with the Sabres, he was always available to the media and should be in an exec or leadership roll in a front office. So glad he got his cup.

[@drbjr8223]

Thanks for everything CAP!, hope he comes back to help the Sabres org out in some capacity, his leadership is amazing. Thanks for this video.

[@brendanl9715]

The dad of the Sabres. Thankful for what he got the players through and best of luck whatever he does next!

[@pyrielrising4338]

Great teammate and an even greater person...still beloved on the Island and will always be welcomed back. Congrats on a solid career. 😊

[@LateCloser]

I was happy to see Okie get his ring. He deserved it. He had some SERIOUS issues with concussions shortly after he arrived in Buffalo. It was similar to what LaFontaine had to deal with and not too far from what Tua is dealing with currently. I really thought it was career ending, with how bad it was. They gave him the time off, he kept playing. And he was able to finish his career as a third line/fourth line player doing a great job as the Captain. I knew that contract was going to age horribly when they signed him. Although, I liked the player. The Sabres were desperate, had failed at developing any offensive talent of their own. They were looking for short cuts. They didn't get it, but they got a guy who eventually helped out with the development of the talented young players they produced later. Never heard him complain once, about anything. He had plenty of opportunities to, as well. There were many nights, his last two years where he was the best Sabre on the ice. That shouldn't have happened, but it did. That's Kyle Okposo. Quit, is not a part of his vocabulary.

[@reptidan]

So happy he got his ring!

[@vipeholmskolan6052]

Imagine learning that the k is silent in the career video.

[@neilflood6508]

The conditions on that 2024 7th round pick were met. The condition was that if Florida won the 2024 Stanley Cup the pick would upgrade from Florida's 7th round pick to Florida's 5th round pick. I am glad that Florida won the Stanley Cup, and not for the pick upgrade. Whilst I am pleased that Sam Reinhart, Even Rodrigues & Brandon Montour have cup rings, I am far happier that Kyle's name is on the cup. Whilst there are many leaders in professional sport, very few, if any, are a classy act as Kyle Okposo is.

[@DarkLobster69]

Never clicked so quickly. Love daddy. (Okposo, not THG. Respectfully).

[@williammontroy9024]

Hope this man has a wonderful retirement.

[@dvon1097]

He had a long, solid career and he ended on top. Also a true class act and a great guy

[@PNP96-l1n]

Congrats on a Championship ring to Okposo! Glad to see a good man get rewarded for his hard work!

[@DarkLobster69]

One thing that I think is very important to note, is when you’re comparing Okposo to the other flops of the 2016 free agency class, Okposo was one that was almost universally agreed to be incredibly good and beneficial. The idea of pairing Okposo and Eichel made a lot more sense to people of the time than Milan Lucic or Loui Eriksson. It’s much easier to criticize the deal with hindsight than it was to criticize it at the time of the signing.

[@TheHockeyGuy]

Eriksson was brought in by the Canucks because he had played well with the Sedins at international tournaments. It was still criticized as was the Lucic deal. None of them were seen as good usage of the cap.

[@DarkLobster69]

@@TheHockeyGuyI understand why Vancouver signed Eriksson, but as you said in your video on the subject “I’m hearing Vancouver is a winner, in what way?” Unfortunately he was signed by a GM who didn’t consult the coach as to whether he even wanted Eriksson, and he clearly didn’t. As for Okposo, from an ESPN article on July 1st, 2016, “the Buffalo Sabres have signed one of the top players on the free agent market… Okposo fills a top line need on the Sabres… and Okposo is close with Sabres forward Matt Moulson… the two are the godfathers’ of each other’s children.” From a SB Nation Article on the same day “the contract makes Okposo one of the highest paid wingers in the league. Not that he hasn’t earned it”. And finally from Sportingnews, the same day. “It’s a big pickup for the Sabres… Okposo isn’t capable of scoring like Stamkos, but he will be a major addition… the Sabres needed a significant free agent signing, they got it”. There definitely was skepticism, no decision is ever universally praised, and you yourself were worried about the term, and how his AAV stacked up to Andrew Ladd (who signed for only 500k less). But I think it’s fair to say the majority of the Hockey community saw the Okposo signing in a much more positive light than some of its counterparts, at least at the time. Obviously in hindsight, almost every single GM would’ve been better off just burning the money. Anyways, I’m a huge fan of the content, so please keep it up. Cheers!

[@Jweldsandlifts]

That shmow from the other video went to great lengths to redeem himself. I guess we can keep him around a little longer.

[@JohnnyBuschi]

I remember the year he was snubbed from the Worlds roster and he had a career game the following night.

[@nersharific813]

Such a class act! Hope he has a great retirement!

[@jeffj4642]

To this day i'm still bitter towards Garth Snow for taking him from my Minnesota Golden Gophers team mid season, essentially ending any chance of making a run at the championship. That said, I never blamed Kyle for leaving and continued to be a fan throughout his career. Glad he went out a champ

[@Wogger72]

MINNESOTA BOY 👍 Parise and him will hang out more as retires

[@aegis7843]

Nicely done. Thanks👍

[@44Glendon]

Him & Moulson career numbers weren't the same when they all left Tavares😉 Just saying😆

[@suburbanindie]

13-14 he had to step up after Tavares was hurt in the Olympics and really came into his own as a modest 1st-line winger. He had to make adjustments to his style over the years especially slowing down in age but he was a reliable power forward/playmaker

[@1bert719]

This was a guy who suffered for his cup, glad he got it.

[@jonah.donohue]

I didn't realise how low his point totals were

[@Mahinskerrr]

He was beast in NHL 16 haha

[@johnbap18]

Okposo played less playoff games than Matthews, and has a Cup.

[@christhornycroft3686]

I blame TEG for confusing the last captaincy. He's always a good fall guy. He doesn't do as many videos, so sometimes when he does the research for your videos, these things happen.

[@ronpeacock9939]

His contract was clearly out of place... though Skinners got more press. He was never that 30+ goal guy and in the attempt to try to buy a playoff spot they overpaid Kyle and Jeff to come and it didn't work out. After Jack leaves, Jeff started to produce but that was never Kyles game. Glad to see he got to go out on top, he had a long career and hope retirement works out well.

[@peterolbrisch8970]

Nice story.

[@Merlin_From_Shrek_3]

Loui Eriksson career video when?

[@TheHockeyGuy]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/gKfbhnaGfKaLock Not long before he was done.

[@Merlin_From_Shrek_3]

@@TheHockeyGuy Right at the end of the covid years. No wonder I forgot about it. On the old set as well.

[@DrDookieonYourDoorstep]

@@Merlin_From_Shrek_3you’re probably old too so that never helps when trying to remember stuff.

[@Optimization_Coach]

Class act. Solid career. They seem to THRIVE when they leave that city!

[@zionfoster8219]

Thg hall of fame?

[@buckminsterfullerene11]

Sorry, but if you put a letter in your last name, I'm gonna pronounce said letter.

[@TheHockeyGuy]

Byfuglien, Gostisbehere, Xhekaj, Luukkanen, Hellebuyck. Have fun pronouncing every letter.

[@RognornYT]

While I do like about 90% of Okposo's time in Buffalo (even though we were bad) but his captaincy at the end of his tenure when the fans were chanting "Fire Donny" (The coach) and they stopped doing the salute after wins was just childish. Team that had all the expectations based on the previous season and they lay an egg and of course the fans wanted the coach fired, but because they had NO accountability (watch the end of season pressers and whatnot, ALL the players said there was ZERO accountability) they wanted him there still lol. He was the captain of the team who decided to has a hissy-fit against the fans because the coach deservedly-so needed to be fired (not that Granato was a bad coach, just not the right one for where the team is/was).

[@cmdrflake]

It is telling that he hasn’t retired as a Sabre. I do not think he will have a job in Buffalo’s future. He might start a career in management, however I doubt it will be in the NHL.

[@bertoneill2488]

Glad this thief is away from my team and away from Hockey. Thank the hockey gods.

[@jacobdill4499]

Why are you calling him a thief?

[@DrDookieonYourDoorstep]

Yet another mediocre player who had his best years playing with Tavares. Okposo joins the likes of PA Parenteau, Matt Moulson, Josh Bailey, Ryan Strome, and Anders Lee. All of which had their value artificially raised by having inflated stats playing with JT.

[@wild_insomnia]