Kyle Okposo is staying in New York state, but he's officially a member of the Buffalo Sabres now. And he couldn't be happier about it.
The former New York Islanders sniper put on a Sabres jersey for the first time Thursday when he was introduced to the media at a press conference, and he's nothing but excited about up-and-coming Buffalo's prospects.
"We're going to be a good team for a long time, and it's going to be a fun organization to play in," Okposo said, according to the Buffalo News' John Vogl.
In fact, that was Okposo's message to prized collegiate free-agent Jimmy Vesey, whose rights were acquired by the Sabres last month. Vesey plans to hit the market on Aug. 15, but is scheduled to meet with the Sabres on Thursday.
"When you have the Pegulas at the helm, it's going to be a great organization," Okposo added. "We're going to be contenders. That's something that isn't always there on teams. I know that personally. We went through a really tough stretch with the Island. There's not going to be those rough times ahead. We're going to be good."
Okposo on what he told his buddy Stafford about wearing #21: "I told him I'd take it down from the rafters for him." pic.twitter.com/SZPNhqAg91
Now 28, Okposo played his first full season with the Islanders in 2008-09, his first of four straight last-place finishes. New York turned the corner in the lockout-shortened 2013 season, making the playoffs, but were eliminated in the first round. They missed the playoffs in 2014, before qualifying again the last two seasons. Okposo has seven goals and eight assists in 24 postseason games.
"There's so much skill, and the future is bright. I really believe that we can win here, and that's what sold me," Okposo said. "That's why you play the game. You play the game to win a Stanley Cup, to win a championship, to raise banners. I think this team has the ability to do that."
The Leafs will bring back the Toronto St. Pats uniforms on March 18, 2017, when they host the Chicago Blackhawks at Air Canada Centre. The franchise was known as the St. Pats from 1919-27 before Conn Smythe renamed them the Maple Leafs.
The St. Pats jerseys will be worn for the first time since 2002.
The centennial celebration will also include the addition of Dave Keon, Tim Horton, and Turk Broda to Legends Row and the NHL Centennial Classic - an outdoor game between the Leafs and the Detroit Red Wings at Toronto's BMO Field.
The 18 player banners hanging in the rafters at the ACC will also be updated, and the original ones will be sent to the players' home towns, according to Postmedia's Lance Hornby.
It's official: We've set sail on a season unlike any other in the NHL.
Sure, there's still a fixed number of scheduled games. And the same major awards that engender the same major arguments will be handed out shortly after one of the 30 active teams emerges as a Stanley Cup champion. As is customary.
But behind the motivations, intentions, and decisions made in pursuit of a title will be the list of players each general manager is required to submit for protection ahead of the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft.
There's plenty of time to prepare for this bit of administrative work; the third Saturday next June is almost 50 weeks from now. But there are teams at a higher risk of losing an indispensable asset.
Here are five most likely to be affected by expansion:
Tampa Bay Lightning
Steve Yzerman must finally surrender something.
After working wonders to keep his team intact as the salary parameters tightened on his roster like a hand-spun vise, the Lightning GM will be without the means to escape expansion without losing a serviceable asset, or even a future star.
With Ryan Callahan and Valtteri Filppula having no-movement clauses in their deals, and Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat, and Jonathan Drouin each requiring safety, Las Vegas could see the likes of Alex Killorn, Vladislav Namestnikov, Brian Boyle, and Cedric Paquette exposed.
But each of those forwards will be safe if Yzerman fails with his next most pressing chore. Goaltender Ben Bishop must not only be dealt over the next 11-plus months, but for a return asset exempt from the expansion process.
Anaheim Ducks
With Kevin Bieksa problematically holding a no-movement ticket, and a comparable amount of desirable assets on the back end as compared to up front, Anaheim could potentially choose to expose more skaters to protect its talented defensive corps.
Let's say Hampus Lindholm, Sami Vatanen, and Cam Fowler are preserved along with Bieksa, that leaves only Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Ryan Kesler (who also has a no-movement clause), and either Rickard Rakell or Jakob Silfverberg safe.
As it is tentatively, Bob Murray will have to expose a legitimate top-six talent in a group that would likely also include Nick Ritchie, Andrew Cogliano, and Simon Despres to avoid losing a mega-talented, puck-moving defenseman.
Minnesota Wild
The Wild are similar to Anaheim in that the incoming franchise would likely target their defense. But even if they decide to save four, a fairly significant asset will still be dangled.
Minnesota has four defenders, Ryan Suter, Jared Spurgeon, Jonas Brodin, and Marco Scandella, signed for at least another four years, as well as Matt Dumba, the talented former first-rounder scheduled to graduate from entry-level status when he negotiates a deal this summer.
Up front, Zach Parise, Mikko Koivu, and Jason Pominville are ensured their futures, while Eric Staal, Charlie Coyle, Nino Niederreiter, Mikael Granlund, Jason Zucker, and Erik Haula make nine (of a maximum seven forwards) Minnesota would prefer to retain.
Dallas Stars
The NHL's most potent attack will have much to consider when determining its seven protected forwards.
Jason Spezza has a no move, and Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, and Cody Eakin will absolutely claim the next three spots. That leaves Patrick Sharp, who had a productive, but not necessarily indispensable impact in his first season; Ales Hemsky, the veteran winger with the club's fourth-best even-strength scoring rate; Valeri Nichushkin and Brett Ritchie, lottery talents still working to carve out meaningful roles; and Radek Faksa, who rode a quick-climbing trajectory in what was a fantastic rookie season.
And on top of that, John Klingberg may be the most experienced of the three protected on the back end, with touted prospects Stephen Johns and Esa Lindell both eligible with just 18 NHL games between them.
Nashville Predators
It's not a question of if; the Predators will protect four defensemen.
Without even having performed a line change, P.K. Subban, Roman Josi, Mattias Ekholm, and Ryan Ellis are being touted as the NHL's best, or at least its most contemporary top four. But keeping them together for more than one season will require a skilled casualty.
Ryan Johansen, Filip Forsberg, and James Neal will fill up three of the four protected slots up front, meaning either Mike Ribeiro, Craig Smith, Colin Wilson, Viktor Arvidsson, or Calle Jarnkrok is tentatively headed to Vegas.
Sidney Crosby is bringing the Stanley Cup back to Nova Scotia.
The official Twitter account for Crosby's hockey school announced Wednesday that the Pittsburgh Penguins captain would return the Stanley Cup to Cole Harbour, N.S., on July 16.
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After being drafted eighth overall in this year's NHL draft, Alexander Nylander is now participating in his first development camp with the Buffalo Sabres.
While many find can find their first taste of NHL action daunting, it certainly hasn't bothered this young forward - who watched his brother William go through the same process with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
"I've been expecting this," Nylander said, according to NHL.com's Joe Yerdon. "This is what my brother went through with the [Maple Leafs] and he sort of taught me what development camp looks like and nothing happened that I haven't expected yet. It's been a lot of fun today."
While William made his NHL debut last season, the younger Nylander starred for the OHL's Mississauga IceDogs, recording 75 points in 57 games, and his new Sabres teammates are quickly recognizing his ability on the ice.
"Obviously he's got great skill," Sabres forward Hudson Fasching said. "He's making plays out there today, you can kind of just tell if you pay a little extra attention to him that every puck he shoots it's crisp, [and] it's in a direction.
"He's aiming for a really small area and a lot of times it looks like he's hitting it. So you kind of look for the small details in a guy like that."
It is still unclear where Nylander may play next season. If he can't crack the Buffalo roster, the 18-year-old could suit up in the AHL, return to the OHL, or head back to Sweden.
The newest member of the Wild agreed to a three-year, $10.5-million deal on July 1, after Parise reached out to Staal suggesting the Wild would be a good fit for him, allowing Staal the opportunity to play center on his wing, he told MinnesotaWild.com.
Staal noted that prior to Parise signing his monstrous 13-year, $98-million contract ahead of the 2012-13 season, he had reached out to Parise about joining the Carolina Hurricanes.
The 31-year-old is coming off his least productive season since his rookie campaign, registering just 13 goals and 39 points in 83 games split between the Hurricanes and New York Rangers.
Staal will be looking to get back to being a consistent point producer, which an already-blooming chemistry with his future linemate should aid in.
