The Florida Panthers have acquired Buffalo Sabres captain Kyle Okposo in exchange for Calle Sjalin and a conditional 2024 seventh-round pick. The condition on the draft pick is it can become a fifth-round pick if Florida wins the Stanley Cup.
The 35-year-old has 12 goals and 10 assists for 22 points in 61 games. Okposo was ranked No. 17 on Frank Seravalli’s most recent trade targets board. Okposo is currently on a one-year, $2.5 million contract and according to Seravalli, he has a $500,000 bonus if he wins a Stanley Cup.
Okposo has been with the Sabres organization since the 2016-17 season. But, injuries have followed Okposo around over his time in Buffalo, most notably his concussion problems near the end of the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons. Okposo was an important acquisition for the Sabres after a 64-point 2015-16 season on Long Island.
Originally selected No. 7 overall by the New York Islanders, Okposo spent nine seasons with the Islanders club making his NHL debut during the 2007-08 season notching two goals and five points in his first nine games.
In 1,045 games, Okposo has amassed 242 goals and 372 assists for 614 points with the Islanders and Sabres. He has also scored 15 points in 24 playoff games, all coming with the Islanders. The former Des Moines Buccaneer was a big part of helping end the Isles’ 23-year playoff series drought, as New York made it to the second round in 2016.
This move for Florida comes just a couple of days after acquiring Russian forward Vladimir Tarasenko from the Ottawa Senators.
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