Okpo So Long https://t.co/x3Wxbd0ErQ pic.twitter.com/h5E3vJGTi6
— SabresBuzz (@SabresBuzz) June 8, 2016
Last month, the NY Islanders cleaned out their locker stalls and said their goodbyes for the summer. Kyle Okposo will likely never clean out a locker stall in Brooklyn again.
The Isles lost in five games in the first round of the playoffs when Ben Bishop, Jonathon Drouin, Nikita Kucherov, Victor Hedman and the Tampa Lightning dropped a butt kicking om them.
To their credit, the Islanders won a playoff series for the first time since 1993.
Some guys will return to Brooklyn come September. Others will never play for the Isles again.
Such is life in the unrestricted free agency market.
Okposo is only 28 years old, however, is a six time 18 goal and three time 20 goal scorer. In a league that is devoid of goal scoring, please explain to me why Okposo has been in a contract stalemate with his soon-to-be-former GM Garth Snow. Why?
Okposo is a freakin Swiss Army knife. He plays a complete 200 foot game. He will toe drag goalies and punch their defensemen in the face. He has brawn and brains. He'll beat opponents with skill an truculence.
So why is Garth Snow going to let him skate away from Brooklyn with zero compensation?
On July 1, Okposo's $2.8 million cap will disappear from the books. A new multi-year contract is not likely in Okposo's windshield in Brooklyn.
No worries at all. Okposo's agent will be very busy fielding call on his iPhone in the one week period that precedes the July 1 UFA market opening.
The team that does not win the Steven Stamkos battle royale will win Okposo. The veteran forward is in a no lose situation. Okposo will seemingly double his take home pay in his next contract. Based on his production and value league wide, Okposo will easily earn $5.6M to $6M AAV per season.
Teams vying for Okposo's services include: Buffalo, Tampa, Vancouver, Detroit, Boston, Anaheim, Montreal, and LA.
In 529 career games with the Isles, Okposo scored 139 goals and added 230 assists. He also earned 310 PIMs. In 29 career playoff games, the former 7th overall pick in 2006 has scored 7 goals and 8 assists.
Okposo was a key cog of the wheel that drove the Islanders. Okposo, John Tavares, Matt Martin, Casey Cizickas and Frans Nielsen have been mainstays with the Isles for years.
Okposo, Neilsen, and Martin have likely played their last games ever in Islanders sweaters.
Garth Snow has UFA business to do with his pending UFAs, however, with new owners set to take over control of the Isles from Charles Wang on July 1, there is no saying whether or not Snow will be able to spend to the cap ceiling or of he will be another budget minding GM. Re-signing core UFAs will not be an option for Snow.
Last week, Snow signed RFA Casey Cizickas to a long term contract.
He will likely sign Ryan Strome and Shane Prince to restricted free agent contract extensions.
Snow clearly has no plans of re-signing Okposo. The GM has had last summer and this entire season to negotiate a long term deal with Okposo's agent.
The silence has been deafening.
Okposo will join forwards Steven Stamkos, David Backes, Troy Brouwer on the UFA market. I see Okposo earning a new 4-5 year deal with a $5.5-$6.5M AAV.
There will be many suitors lining up to pitch Okposo, however, the lack of available salary cap space will scare off the tire kickers. Only serious buyers need apply to the Okposo sweepstakes. The teams that swing and miss on Stamkos and Backes will go hard at Okposo.
On Tuesday, Newsday reported that Okposo, Marin and Nielsen are still on the outside looking in.
"Nothing new" is the answer from both sides in #Isles-Frans Nielsen contract situation. Same for Okposo/Martin, which was expected.
— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) June 7, 2016
Nielsen was a team-friendly $2.75M AAV. Martin was $1M AAV.
Nielsen, 32, has developed into a responsible two-way player for the Islanders. Neilsen scored 20 goals and 52 points in 81 games. He averaged 21 minutes TOI per game.
Martin, 27, scored 10 goals, 19 points and accumulated 119 PIMs in 80 games last season.
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Buffalove is a natural fit for Okposo.
Here's why:
* If Tim Murray loses the Stamkos Cup, he will still need to find Jack Eichel's left winger. Murray has said repeatedly that Eichel's winger is not yet on the Buffalo roster. Okposo plays heavy hockey with soft, skilled hands. He has the wheels to skate and create with Eichel and Reinhart.
* Murray has $25M+ plus is salary cap space and won't be afraid to use it on a 5 year, $30M deal for Okposo. Signing Okposo to such a deal would create budget for Murray to make his trade for Anaheim QB Cam Fowler and sign him to a 6 year, $36M contract.
* Okposo is Matt Moulson's best friend both on and off the ice. Moulson enjoyed his best NHL success skating alongside "Booker" and John Tavares on Long Island. Moulson has failed to live up to his end of the 5 year, $25M contract he signed three summers ago. Tim Murray didn't mince words when he talked about Moulson's forgettable 2015-16 season. Murray said that he had several direct, pointed conversations with Moulson about his in season and off season training habits. Murray said in April that Moulson will not be a buyout casualty this summer and that he hopes that Moulson arrives at training camp in September in the best physical condition of his NHL life. At 32, Moulson is on the back nine of his NHL career. Murray challenging him is for his own good and the good of the team. Signing Moulson's best friend Okposo combined with improved physical fitness may be just what the doctor ordered for Matty Mo.
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