Kyle Okposo

[Uncle Lou]

After starting the last few seasons off slow and even a step behind, is this the year where Kyle finally breaks out for 25-30 goals, He trained with JT this offseason and is now playing on the first line to start the year. Is this the year Kyle finally gets it going early?


I hope so, Okposo is by far the most frustrating player to watch on this entire team IMO, and i tell my friends this all the time, guys got so much potential to be a good player and he shows it at time and other times, he is garbage. I think Okposo would be such a better and more consistent player if he stopped trying all these finesse toe-drag moves and stuck to the hard nosed game we saw in the playoffs. I think the Okposo we saw in the playoffs can easily throw up 30g-35a-65p

You're guys thoughts?

 

[InformTheMasses]

After starting the last few seasons off slow and even a step behind, is this the year where Kyle finally breaks out for 25-30 goals, He trained with JT this offseason and is now playing on the first line to start the year. Is this the year Kyle finally gets it going early?


I hope so, Okposo is by far the most frustrating player to watch on this entire team IMO, and i tell my friends this all the time, guys got so much potential to be a good player and he shows it at time and other times, he is garbage. I think Okposo would be such a better and more consistent player if he stopped trying all these finesse toe-drag moves and stuck to the hard nosed game we saw in the playoffs. I think the Okposo we saw in the playoffs can easily throw up 30g-35a-65p

You're guys thoughts?

so hard to predict breakout. seasons but ill go out on the limb and say YES this is the season Okposo breaks out. as long as he stays healthy. I like what I see so far

 

[Bunk Moreland]

I didn't see staples article but Rotoworld is saying that newsday said KO will be starting off on the top line this year. If that's the case you gotta think he will have a big time season as long as he stays there.

 

[Uncle Lou]

I didn't see staples article but Rotoworld is saying that newsday said KO will be starting off on the top line this year. If that's the case you gotta think he will have a big time season as long as he stays there.

yeah staple tweeted that okposo was on top line earlier today

 

[PK Cronin]

I don't think he'll be playing on the top line.

He better play well or I don't want to see him anymore. Simple as that.

 

[JetsMetsIsles]

I didn't see staples article but Rotoworld is saying that newsday said KO will be starting off on the top line this year. If that's the case you gotta think he will have a big time season as long as he stays there.

Wow I thought for sure he'd be with Bailey. I like OK on the first line more than just giving the 1st line spot to the new guy who hasnt earned it with his past or his present.

 

[Bones45]

This could have been a thread for every October for the past several years. No answer.

Like I said before.. Tavares' line will do well.

Its the Bailey/Okposo/Grabner performance which will determine how this team does this year.

 

[BillD]

After starting the last few seasons off slow and even a step behind, is this the year where Kyle finally breaks out for 25-30 goals, He trained with JT this offseason and is now playing on the first line to start the year. Is this the year Kyle finally gets it going early?


I hope so, Okposo is by far the most frustrating player to watch on this entire team IMO, and i tell my friends this all the time, guys got so much potential to be a good player and he shows it at time and other times, he is garbage. I think Okposo would be such a better and more consistent player if he stopped trying all these finesse toe-drag moves and stuck to the hard nosed game we saw in the playoffs. I think the Okposo we saw in the playoffs can easily throw up 30g-35a-65p

You're guys thoughts?

To be more accurate, I read that KO spent 1 week training with JT at his gym. ONE WEEK. That has been part f his problem with slow starts. It toook him until March this past (shortened) season to get his conditioning from the way he skated starting January. HHe looked slow and sluggish in the pre-season so far. I am far from confident he starts off strong.

 

[13th Floor]

I'd like to believe so. Last season was a weird year since he didn't play overseas during the lockout and there was no training camp. The year before that he was coming off of that almost season-long shoulder injury, so again I wasn't surprised that he had a slow start.

Excuses, excuses though... as this has been his problem forever. He does look bigger (from pictures posted on this forum) though, so I'm hoping the conditioning has paid off.

We should be able to tell by the first few games if he is conditioned or not. He plays a very start and stop style game that requires a lot of energy and stamina. Personally, I don't look at whether he puts up points in the first couple of games as proof -- that can just be a result of luck (good or bad) as opposed to conditioning. We will be able to tell by his effort. Of course, at the same time, I hope he can aim his shot half an inch towards the goal instead of hitting the post... that would be nice.

 

[Macch]

This could have been a thread for every October for the past several years. No answer.

Like I said before.. Tavares' line will do well.

Its the Bailey/Okposo/Grabner performance which will determine how this team does this year.

Bingo!!!!!

If preseason is any indicator, and we always have to take it with a grain of salt, I'm expecting big things from all 3 this season.

I'm hoping Grabner can hold down the 2nd line spot. His production should go up big time.

 

[steveat]

Bailey is the exact same way too people.

If they don't start getting their acts together, I can see kids like Kabanov, Persson take there places and get traded.

Kabby looked good..much better than I would have expected from a guy who missed almost a year of hockey. I think this kid is finally "getting" it.

 

[PK Cronin]

Bailey is the exact same way too people.

If they don't start getting their acts together, I can see kids like Kabanov, Persson take there places and get traded.

Kabby looked good..much better than I would have expected from a guy who missed almost a year of hockey. I think this kid is finally "getting" it.

Except Bailey is actually good at things, like reading the play and not doing the same move turning the puck over on every other offensive possession.

Despite what many have said or thought about him, he is a better and more difficult player to replace than Okposo in almost every way.

 

[19NYSports91]

Except Bailey is actually good at things, like reading the play and not doing the same move turning the puck over on every other offensive possession.

Despite what many have said or thought about him, he is a better and more difficult player to replace than Okposo in almost every way.

Your hate for Okposo is getting annoying. Okposo isn't good at anything? That's a good one. If he plays the way he did for the last month + playoffs, I take him every time over Bailey and I love Bailey as a player. He was the best player on the team during that stretch.

 

[Metnut]

The Okposo of late last year/playoffs is exactly what we need on the first line.

 

[WangMustGo]

The Okposo of late last year/playoffs is exactly what we need on the first line.

I disagree. I don't think Okposo is offensively gifted enough to play with Tavares. I think Bailey is a better short term solution, but I think Strome is the long term solution.

 

[FourRings]

In the playoffs KO was a master along the boards. That could be nice on the top line. JT won't have to go digging for the puck every possession.

 

[Kevin27nyi]

I like Nielsen and Okposo together more.

 

[kasper11]

We will know by the time the team has played 3 games.

Regardless of whether he ends up on the stats sheet, if we see the Okposo we saw at the end of the year, aggressive with the puck, a monster on the boards, tenacious in front of the net, it will be a good year for Okposo. If we see the passive player that we saw the first 2/3 of the year, we are in trouble.

 

[Uncle Lou]

We will know by the time the team has played 3 games.

Regardless of whether he ends up on the stats sheet, if we see the Okposo we saw at the end of the year, aggressive with the puck, a monster on the boards, tenacious in front of the net, it will be a good year for Okposo. If we see the passive player that we saw the first 2/3 of the year, we are in trouble.

Agree with this 100%

 

[PK Cronin]

Your hate for Okposo is getting annoying. Okposo isn't good at anything? That's a good one. If he plays the way he did for the last month + playoffs, I take him every time over Bailey and I love Bailey as a player. He was the best player on the team during that stretch.

Good, my hate for him balances out the love-fest I have to read about every time he does anything good.

And I didn't say he wasn't good at anything, I said Bailey is better in almost every way. The physical aspect of the game is the only thing Okposo is better at.

If you think Okposo was the best player down the stretch you're delusional. Tavares was better than Okposo all of last season. His 'drop' in production toward the end just made it seem as though he wasn't.


Okposo has the tools to be good, but he rarely is. He really needs to put in a full season and learn from his mistakes. My hate for him is almost purely because he refuses to stop making the same mistakes over and over again. I could defend him, because he does the same move over and over and over again. He also gets his shot blocked quite a bit and does unnecessary puck carrying in the offensive zone (sometimes it reminds me of Jason Blake, but without the speed). If he stops with the amateurish mistakes, I'd stop the hate.

 

[19NYSports91]

If you think Okposo was the best player down the stretch you're delusional. Tavares was better than Okposo all of last season. His 'drop' in production toward the end just made it seem as though he wasn't.

lol you say Tavares was better than Okposo all of last season. I said he was better the last month of the season, which he was. The first line for the last month of the season was BRUTAL, including Tavares. He turned the puck over A LOT, and was out their for goals against A LOT. The didn't produce offense at all 5 on 5, and were a defensive liability with Moulson and Boyes out on the ice. You're delusional if you really believe Tavares was a better player for the last month of the season, sorry.

For the last month of the season, Okposo was a takeway machine, battled hard along the boards and most likely always came away with the puck, made very good passes in the slot when he was down low. Watching the games he was VERY noticeable on the ice and made a lot of great plays that didn't show up on the stats sheet. Occasionally he did that move that your talking about, but he didn't do it as much as you say he does. The Bailey-Nielsen-Okposo line worked very well because they were all GREAT at cycling the puck, all played very good defensively, and really just had great chemistry with each other.

Yes, you can say Tavares could have played better than Okposo if he had better linemates, but he didn't so....

 

[PK Cronin]

lol you say Tavares was better than Okposo all of last season. I said he was better the last month of the season, which he was. The first line for the last month of the season was BRUTAL, including Tavares. He turned the puck over A LOT, and was out their for goals against A LOT. The didn't produce offense at all 5 on 5, and were a defensive liability with Moulson and Boyes out on the ice.

For the last month of the season, Okposo was a takeway machine, battled hard along the boards and most likely always came away with the puck, made very good passes in the slot when he was down low. Watching the games he was VERY noticeable on the ice and made a lot of great plays that didn't show up on the stats sheet. Occasionally he did that move that your talking about, but he didn't do it as much as you say he does. The Bailey-Nielsen-Okposo line worked very well because they were all GREAT at cycling the puck, all played very good defensively, and really just had great chemistry with each other.

Yes, you can say Tavares could have played better than Okposo if he had better linemates, but he didn't so....

So your big claim that my hate of Okposo is wrong is because you think he outplayed Tavares for a month last season, his line played very well together, and he didn't do the same move as often as he usually does during that month?

The fact that you even acknowledge the move I'm talking about proves my point. He's entirely too predictable, when playing as his usual self that is. You're LOVING a month where you he played well. I'm HATING the rest of his career (minus a few stretches here and there).

And without looking into deeper stats (for lack of time), KO had 10 points in April and 4 points in the playoffs. JT had 11 points and 5 in the playoffs. JT was productive during the last month, it just appeared like he wasn't because of how tremendous he was during the first part.

 

[islesfan186]

After starting the last few seasons off slow and even a step behind, is this the year where Kyle finally breaks out for 25-30 goals

Well...he's already had a 25 goal season
but I get what your saying. It's nice when he scores, but would rather that it would be in meaningful games, and not score his first goal 30 games in

 

[A Pointed Stick]

This has to be the make or break year for Kyle. Either he comes ready to play, or we trade his *** for need, and we have a several needs. His inability to play actual hockey before the all star break is maddening. What's worse is Grabner isn't far behind him.

 

[The Korean*]

25 goals, 35 assist would be a good season for him. And I expect him to pull it off.