Season Preview: Kyle Okposo

Kyle Okposo

Position: Right Wing

Height: 6'1"
Weight: 201 lbs
Birthdate: April 16th, 1988 (23 years old)
Birthplace: St. Paul, Minnesota, US
Acquired: Draft, 1st round, 7th overall, 2006 NHL Entry Draft

2010-2011 Team: New York Islanders
2010-2011 Stats: 38 GP - 5 G - 15 A - 20 P - 40 PIM
2011-2012 Team: New York Islanders
Team Role: Top 6 Forward

Last year: In an eerily similar injury (although not as severe) to Mark Streit, Okposo was injured in the pre-season coming off of his best year stats wise yet. His shoulder injury kept him out for the first half of the season, but Okposo rehabbed quite a bit and was able to return for a little less than half the season. In his first few games he looked entirely rusty, which seemed to carry on a bit through the rest of the season. However, he still put up a somewhat respectable year stats wise, posting 20 points in 38 games. It was a disappointing year for Okposo in all, but by the end of the year he found a fantastic chemistry with Frans Nielsen and Michael Grabner on the second line and really contributed to the dynamic trio's offensive and defense capabilities. Okposo was awarded with a 5 year contract extension due to his commitment to the team and necessity to the core.

Expectations: Rust understood from last year, this year needs to be one where Okposo truly puts in solid production. He's fully healthy now and is coming off a pretty good camp, and will almost definitely be returning to his chemistry with Grabner and Nielsen on the 2nd line. Okposo is still one of the strongest players in the league on the boards and will need to continue that to have his efficiently truly used to it's fullest capacity. We should be seeing a great year out of Okposo, as his time out and deficiency due to rust last year clearly taught him something about himself. He's also wearing the A again this season and will once again be counted on to provide leadership both on and off the ice.

Projections: GP 78 - 24 G - 35 A - 59 P

Thoughts:

AT: Okposo's never going to be a 65+ point player. He's a power forward, and everyone knows power forwards sometime take quite a while to develop. However, Okposo already has the strength of an in-his-prime PF, and plays like it as well. He put up 52 points in his first full season as a 21-22 year old, so to expect close to 60 is not too much, but just about right for most of his career. His defensive prowess and forechecking is what he is most noted for, and for good reason. It is going to be exciting to watch Okposo go into his prime over the next 5 years of his contract, and hopefully more than that.

CH: Okposo was the first prospect to be chosen after the Mike Milbury era, and to date he has not disappointed when healthy. Okposo is already considered a leader on the Islanders, and has worn an "A" as an alternate captain since his second full-season in the NHL in 2009-10. He is a prime candidate to break out this season and should be expected to contribute 20 goals and come close to 60 points. Okposo is an essential part of the Isles, and if he takes the next step, his all-around game will be key in the Isles quest to move up in the standings.

News: Isles Name Four Alternate Captains

As reported by ESPN's Katie Strang earlier, the Islanders have named four alternate captains for the 2011-12 season: John Tavares, Kyle Okposo, Brian Rolston, and Steve Staios. The alternates will switch off between home and away games.

CH: Going with a mix of veterans and younger players, the Islanders made sound choices for the rest of the leadership team this season. With a total of two defensemen and three forwards, all position and age demographics are represented. This will mark the third season Kyle Okposo will wear the "A" for the Islanders, and that should continue for the foreseeable future. Okposo was originally thought to unquestionably be the next captain of the team. However, with other young guys taking leadership roles on the team, that may be a little less likely.

A perfect example of this is the role that John Tavares has taken with the team. There is no doubt that Tavares is the face of the franchise. He is the Islanders' best player. He also has an incredible work ethic and is mature beyond his years. The fact that he was named alternate captain this year should have been a no-brainer. Between Tavares and Okposo, the Islanders will have two prominent leaders on the team for a long time.

Of course, the leadership team could not be complete without veterans taking active roles as well. Even though he has only been here a few weeks, Steve Staios is a fantastic choice for a letter. He is a very respected veteran that has the on-ice fire to be a captain, which is a nice change of pace from the mostly laid back demeanor of Tavares and Okposo (though they have shown fire when it's been necessary). Combine them with Brian Rolston, and the team will have five players (including captain Mark Streit) who the league respects.

One final point that gets undermined is the respect of the officiating staff. Guys like Zenon Konopka were ignored by the referees because of their style of play. With Streit, Okposo, Tavares, Rolston, and Staios, the Islanders have respected players to talk to the referees when necessary. Include the influence they have in the locker room, and it shows why the team made good choices for the captains this season.

AT: Couldn't have asked for a better group of guys to wear the A's to join the best possible choice for the C in leading this Islander team. You have Tavares and Okposo, two young players who are major parts of this core representing the youth movement, and then you have Staios and Rolston, two grizzled veterans who know their way in and out of this league and have a lot of respect amongst referees and fellow players alike. Of all the things the Islanders have done this offseason, choosing their new captain and assistant captains has been one test they've passed with flying colors.

Over the long run, yes, either Tavares or Okposo will be the captain. For now, having them as A's to continue learning the process of being a leader in the NHL is the best way to go.