Okposo signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract with Buffalo on Wednesday.
Okposo had the option to test the open market this summer as an unrestricted free agent after completing his seven-year, $42 million deal, but he decided to sign an extension with the Sabres instead. The 35-year-old scored 11 goals and 28 points in 75 contests in 2022-23. He'll likely serve primarily in a bottom-six role next season.
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Sabres' Kyle Okposo: First goal in eight games
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Okposo scored the game-winning goal in a 2-0 victory over the Islanders on Saturday.
Okposo was in the left circle near the slot when Ilya Lyubushkin's shot from the right point hit the Isles' Anders Lee and deflected onto his stick. He made no mistake, ringing it off the near post and in past Semyon Varlamov. It was Okposo's first goal in eight games and just his third in 31 games. Yep -- the decline is real. He has 10 goals and 25 points in 65 games in the last year of his current contract. The 34-year-old winger and team captain will looking to continue to prove his leadership is worth a new deal in Buffalo, albeit at much less his current $6 million cap hit.
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Sabres' Kyle Okposo: Ends four-game point drought
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Okposo netted a goal in Buffalo's 3-2 loss to the Islanders on Tuesday.
Okposo scored early in the third period to tie the contest at 2-2, but the Islanders were able to regain the lead. He has eight goals and 23 points in 56 outings this season. Okposo snapped a four-game scoring drought.
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Sabres' Kyle Okposo: Nets shorthanded game-winner
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Okposo scored a shorthanded goal in Saturday's 5-3 win over the Predators.
Okposo picked a fine time to end a seven-game point drought, scoring at 6:43 of the third period while killing a penalty. That goal held up as the game-winner, his second such tally this season. All four of Okposo's shorthanded goals in his career have come in the last three seasons -- this was his first shorty of 2022-23. He's up to seven goals, 17 points, 65 shots on net, 36 hits and a plus-3 rating through 34 appearances while mainly playing on the fourth line.
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Sabres' Kyle Okposo: Nets game-winning marker
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Okposo scored three goals on five shots during a 6-3 victory over the visiting Red Wings on Thursday.
Okposo, who entered Thursday with three goals in 25 games, notched his first hat trick since Feb. 7, 2016. The 34-year-old right winger opened on the fourth line with Zemgus Girgensons and Peyton Krebs and scored twice during the Sabres' four-goal second period. His third marker, an empty-netter, capped the scoring.
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Sabres' Kyle Okposo: Garners helper Monday
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Okposo logged an assist and three shots on goal in Monday's 3-2 win over the Golden Knights.
Okposo set up Lawrence Pilut's second-period tally, which stood as the game-winner. The 34-year-old Okposo has two goals and an assist over his last five outings, though he also missed one game with a lower-body injury in that span. The winger is up to 13 points, 51 shots, 27 hits, 12 PIM and a plus-3 rating through 25 contests, though he's often been limited to bottom-six minutes.
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Sabres' Kyle Okposo: Gets goal in return
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Okposo (lower body) found the back of the net in Saturday's 5-2 win against Arizona.
Okposo scored on an empty net at 19:08 of the third period. He also logged four shots and two hits in 14:58 of ice time. The 34-year-old returned to the lineup after missing Thursday's contest because of the injury.
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Sabres' Kyle Okposo: Ready to rock
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Okposo (lower body) will be back in the lineup Saturday against Arizona, Jourdon LaBarber of the Sabres' official site reports.
Okposo sat out Thursday's contest versus Colorado. The Sabres will also get back Jeff Skinner (suspension) versus the Coyotes, so Vinnie Hinostroza and Rasmus Asplund are expected to sit as healthy scratches. Okposo, who has chipped in 11 points in 23 games this season, is slated to return to the fourth line.
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Sabres' Kyle Okposo: Unavailable against Colorado
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Okposo (lower body) won't play Thursday versus the Avalanche, Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News reports.
Luckily for the Sabres, Vinnie Hinostroza (undisclosed), is ready to return and is set to replace Okposo on the fourth line. Buffalo has yet to release an expected timetable for Okposo's recovery.
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Sabres' Kyle Okposo: Returning to lineup Friday
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Okposo (lower body) will be back in the lineup Friday, according to Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550.
Okposo will see fourth-line action between Zemgus Girgensons and Tyson Jost. Okposo has missed the last six games with the injury. He has a goal and nine points in 14 games.
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Sabres' Kyle Okposo: Skating on his own
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Okposo (lower body) has started skating on his own, Heather Engel of NHL.com reports.
Okposo, who hasn't played since Nov. 10, is doing better. It seems doubtful that he will be ready to play Tuesday against Montreal. Okposo is listed as day-to-day.
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Sabres' Kyle Okposo: Surfaces on IR
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Okposo (lower body) was moved to injured reserve Tuesday, per the NHL media site.
Okposo, who has been out since Nov. 10, is listed as day-to-day. The Sabres captain has one goal and eight assists in 14 games this season. Henri Jokiharju (facial fracture) was activated in a corresponding move.
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Sabres' Kyle Okposo: Out again Tuesday
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Okposo (lower body) won't play Tuesday against Vancouver, per Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News.
It'll be the second game Okposo's missed with what's been called "general soreness." The 34-year-old winger has a goal and eight assists through 14 games this season. His status will be reevaluated before Wednesday's contest with Ottawa.
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Sabres' Kyle Okposo: Out of Saturday's lineup
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Okposo (general soreness) will not play against Boston on Saturday, Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550 reports.
Okposo missed practice Friday and then again Saturday. He has a goal and nine points in 14 games this season and had been scoring of late with a goal and seven points in his last seven games. Consider him day-to-day.
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Sabres' Kyle Okposo: Misses practice Friday
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Okposo (general soreness) missed practice Friday, Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News reports.
The Sabres and Okposo will re-evaluate Saturday as to whether or not he will be healthy enough to play later that evening against Boston. Okposo has a goal and nine points in 14 games this season, with his goal and six helpers coming in the last seven contests.
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Sabres' Kyle Okposo: Dishes two assists
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Okposo provided a pair of assists and fired three shots on goal in Monday's 8-3 win over the Red Wings.
Okposo has been exactly what the Sabres' top line has needed after a slow start to the year. He's dished four helpers in his last two games, and his presence alongside Tage Thompson and Jeff Skinner has brought life to their scoring as well. Okposo is up to six assists, 19 shots on net and a plus-3 rating through nine contests overall, and he could have some streaming appeal in both season-long and DFS formats as long as he stays on the top line.
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Sabres' Kyle Okposo: Helps out on empty-netter
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Okposo notched an assist and five shots on goal in Saturday's 5-1 win over the Canucks.
Okposo led the Sabres in shots, but he wasn't able to find twine. He did manage his second assist in five games this year, helping out on Zemgus Girgensons' empty-net tally. Okposo has added nine shots, three hits and a plus-2 rating in a bottom-six role, though the captain should have no trouble staying in the lineup as long as he's healthy.
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Sabres' Kyle Okposo: Ready to rock
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Okposo (upper body) has been medically cleared and will play in Thursday's regular-season opener versus the Senators, Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News reports.
Okposo was dealing with an upper-body injury toward the end of training camp, but he's 100 percent healthy heading into Thursday night's matchup with Ottawa. The 34-year-old winger bounced back in a big way in 2021-22, racking up 21 goals, 45 points and 174 shots on net through 74 games after collecting just 13 points through 35 contests in 2020-21.
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Sabres' Kyle Okposo: Dealing with short-term injury
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Okposo (upper body) will not skate for a few days after leaving Tuesday's game versus the Hurricanes, Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News reports.
Okposo didn't play in the third period of Tuesday's contest, and it's been confirmed he'll be off the ice for a while. The 34-year-old's status for the start of the year should be considered in doubt given the start of the Sabres' season is next Thursday. If he misses time, Anders Bjork or Vinnie Hinostroza could be in the Opening Night lineup.
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Sabres' Kyle Okposo: Close to fully recovered
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Okposo (leg) "would have been good to play next week" had the Sabres made the playoffs, Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News reports.
Okposo will undoubtedly be 100 percent healthy in time for next season's training camp. The 34-year-old vet had a bounce-back year in 2021-22, racking up 21 goals and 45 points through 74 contests.
