Why so high on Kyle Okposo?

Now, I really do mean this as a legitimate question, not just a cut-up.
I've never seen the guy play, so help me out if you can.

I've heard him mentioned several times as a potential Top-10 player in this year's draft. He's listed as 5'10 170 on the USHL site, 6'0 195 on the Des Moines site.

Fourteen points in 11 games in a league that's a step below major junior - not bad, but doesn't seem exceptionally good for a Top-10 prospect. I know it's tougher to score in the USHL than other Jr. "A" leagues, but Vanek in his last USHL year had
91 points in 53 games.

What makes Okposo such a hot prospect? He doesn't seem to have great size (if the USHL site is accurate). He's not lighting it up against inferior competition (relative to MJ).

Opinions?

 

Okposo is around 6' 200lbs. I noticed the USHL is incorrect in listing sizes of a few of the players.

The reason why scouts like Okposo is that he is a leader, he play tough, he's strong on the puck and he is a very physical player. The guy loves to go through guys. He's been compared to Kyle Calder, Brenden Morrow and a more skilled version of Anthony Stewart. He's the kind of guy that will get around 50-60 points at the NHL level and be the heart and soul player on your team.

I don't play on doing any rankings till mid-season but I would rank Okposo 11th at the moment.

 

he has a cool last name

 

Anthony Stewart's malaise at giving his all during regular season games in Kingston was well documented.

However, "when it counted" (per his perception) at the World Juniors, his performance as an '85 playing with the 84's was outstanding and among the best on Team Canada.

Until Okposo displays even close to that level of ability, it is absolutely outlandish to call this, as of right now, pretty good Tier II player (sorry USHL'ers, a rose by any other name, etc.) "a more skilled version of Anthony Stewart".

 

Well I guess ISS is outlandish because that is their opinion. I've never been a huge fan of Stewart myself. I dislike his inconsistency and I didn't think he was that impressive at the last WJC. I think Stewart will be a player that will fustrate Panther's fans because after he becomes an established NHLer I think he will revert back to his old habits.

 

With the whole Toews/Tayves thing going on in another thread, I guess I'll take this opportunity to explain how to pronounce Okposo...

Oh-kah-poe-so

It's Nigerian.

As far as his stats are concerned, he's on pace for about 70 points which really isn't that bad. Assuming he's still going though an adjustment right now, it's possible the pace could increase. I'd hope for about 80 points out of him in 50 to 60 games. That would be quite solid considering all his other intangibles. I've never heard anyone say he has the upside of a player like Vanek so I don't expect the same amount of points.

 

I'm not sure why so many people are focusing on his point totals. He's scoring a decent clip in a good league, but scoring is just one of the facets to Okposo's game. Every year there's one or more players that get drafted high because of "intangibles," and he's that kind of player.

 

putting on my teacher's cap

Okposo != oh-kah-poe-so

the kp part has no english enquivalent, it's a bilabial implosive, basically you say them as one sound. the best way to approximate his name with english sounds is ok-po-so, with the o's sounding more like the o in 'dock' rather than the o in 'sold'. you could say Oposo without sounding the k and be okay too. Again this is only an approximation, it's hard to describe the kp sound on a message board.

Then again we're not in Nigeria so feel free to butcher his name, he'll get used to it much like i did.

 

Okay, so how does Kyle say it? Isn't that what really matters?

 

+1

 

Now a days the USHL is almost mandatory for players not drafed in the first round or that came up through the u18 team. TJ Oshie was going to go USHL for a full year. So was Fourney until they exelled their games. Alex Goligoski was going to go USHL if Keith Ballard had stayed for his senior year. Every year since Vanek dominated the league has changed a lot. And got much better. Lee and Oshie played part of last season in the USHL and first round pick Joe Finley played the entire year there.

Brock Bradford was well over a point a game in the BCHL and he was just under a point a game in the USHL. And so far this year he has 2 GWG at Boston College.

Still it is not the best league out there. But Okposo is not getting beat there either. And i think he is over a +10 in 11 games. To go along with 14 points. With one short handed goal. And only eight PIM. And he is a power forward type player.

 

i agree, i mentioned this in another thread, if he played in the q, for example, he would be pretty close to 1.5 - 1.75 pts per game. for a 17 yr old in the ushl during his draft year to average a point a game is pretty impressive in my opinion (i think hes averaging more then a point too??). plus he has tons of other aspects to his game that make him almost a mortal lock at this point to go top 15.

 

It's funny because I used to think it was pronounced similar to the way you're describing it. The way I had it above was something I had found on a Minnesota hockey message board from people who had been following him for years and had seen him play in person so I figured they'd know what they were talking about. I guess not.

 

Can I make a request to HF staff? If/when you guys interview this kid, can you ask him how HE pronounces HIS name? Thanks.