doublechili
For all intensive purposes, your nuts
- Apr 11, 2006
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Player Discussion: Kyle Okposo
- Thread starter SDIsles34
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LeapOnOver
Mackenzie is a hack!
Watch the crap that replaces him when he's gone lol...
People trying to lump Okposo in the same boat as Nelson, Strome and Bailey is ridiculous. Those three play with no heart. Okposo plays with heart he's just not a stellar decision maker and tries to do too much because of the expectations playing on the first line. He's no Bailey or Nelson though, that's a huge stretch.
People trying to lump Okposo in the same boat as Nelson, Strome and Bailey is ridiculous. Those three play with no heart. Okposo plays with heart he's just not a stellar decision maker and tries to do too much because of the expectations playing on the first line. He's no Bailey or Nelson though, that's a huge stretch.
If he does not ask too much bring him back, tell him to get in better game shape next year and bring in a real good coach who can teach both him and JT how to play in their own zone.
It is never too old to learn the art of defense. These are little things but they do add up. How do you lift a stick properly without resulting in getting called for a high stick? How do you tight up a player just enough to not get called for hooking? How to intercept a pass in your own zone or deflect a shot or pass away from the net? (it is about angles and where you put the sticks)? How do you manage your time on ice and when to leave the D zone and when to stay back? When it is right time to block a shot without getting hurt seriously? How to bump off a player just enough to not get called for interference? How to check your the tapes on your sticks to make sure it is in top condition so less of a chance to have it broken during a play? Someone need to show them so they can become more complete hockey players.
It is never too old to learn the art of defense. These are little things but they do add up. How do you lift a stick properly without resulting in getting called for a high stick? How do you tight up a player just enough to not get called for hooking? How to intercept a pass in your own zone or deflect a shot or pass away from the net? (it is about angles and where you put the sticks)? How do you manage your time on ice and when to leave the D zone and when to stay back? When it is right time to block a shot without getting hurt seriously? How to bump off a player just enough to not get called for interference? How to check your the tapes on your sticks to make sure it is in top condition so less of a chance to have it broken during a play? Someone need to show them so they can become more complete hockey players.
MattMartin
Killer Instinct™
Yeah Strome (22) and Nelson (25) are busts. Kyle Okposo (29) and his career high 27 goals should just be given a check and let him fill it out. What "heart" are you seeing that nobody else is? North/South should be his game, not East/West. My favorite thing I came up with regarding him was...He plays like china in a bull shop.
Lame Lambert
Fire Lou
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LeapOnOver
Mackenzie is a hack!
Don't remember saying they are busts. What I would say (since it seems you want to be the one to put words in my mouth) is that Strome takes too many nights off and needs to show some consistency and Nelson needs to up the intensity dramatically. Next time you want to know what i'm saying just ask. No need to guess.
I'm glad you think your saying is witty, but I don't get it at all. Okposo doesn't have a problem hitting and using the body, he just has a hard time staying on his feet while doing it. He rarely takes any shifts off and even when he's not scoring he's engaged in the play. Once again it's his decision making and balance that affect his game, not his effort.
blitzkriegs
Registered User
He's really a $5M-$5.5M player, however he'll get paid $6.5 rather easy with NMC or NTC for 6yrs minimum.
MattMartin
Killer Instinct™
Their age and years playing is a factor however. Last year Strome was great everywhere on every line. This year he struggled. Nelson can score goals but when he struggles, he really struggles. I thinking coaching can change this at their ages and NHL experience. Kyle wants maybe 6-8 mil a year and I have seen nothing in his career to think he deserves that type of money. This is where the problem lies.
That's a big problem for a physical forward. You can't do much sitting on your ass unless making cold farts count.
Many props to MM for that great play on words.
periferal
Registered User
- Jul 5, 2007
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This Okposo situation is truly a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation. Kyle's value really is as a 2nd line wing. However he's going to be paid by someone as a 1st line wing. Anything over 5 million for him doesn't compute, but he's going to get it so do you...
1. Resign him and thus giving him an untradable contract in the process and tightening up our cap space for other needs.
2. Let him go for nothing leaving a GAPING hole in our offense (that already needs significant improvement) with really no one else on the FA market that can provide Kyle's offense other than Stamkos who we most likely will not be getting.
It's a tightrope Spud. It's a ****** tightrope.
1. Resign him and thus giving him an untradable contract in the process and tightening up our cap space for other needs.
2. Let him go for nothing leaving a GAPING hole in our offense (that already needs significant improvement) with really no one else on the FA market that can provide Kyle's offense other than Stamkos who we most likely will not be getting.
It's a tightrope Spud. It's a ****** tightrope.
GrandmaSlices51631
Registered User
I get the market is not great but there are guys like Hudler and Eriksson available. Neither is an upgrade, both seem like could have a few more ~55-60 pt seasons. If one of them could be had for an AAV around 5, we'll be ok.
LeapOnOver
Mackenzie is a hack!
So we aren't disagreeing. We both see the inefficiencies and flaws in their game. I don't know why Strome regressed. I am willing to bet it's just a sophomore slump and that he'll regain his prior form. Nelson, on the other hand, even when he's scoring he doesn't play with much intensity. He's certainly turning into a complimentary player and someone who won't drive a line. That's disconcerting to say the least. You did hit on the one thing that could be the game changer in bold. Anyway, I don't see where what I said was any bit irrational. There are fans going on about blowing up the whole team and all I think is we know what we are getting with Okposo and it's enough for me. I don't think he's the problem, it's the players on other lines that are the problem.
As far as the contract demands Staples last Q&A seemed to hint at the money not being that high, but the desire for term being the important factor. I still think Okposo is going to be a better player when he actually slows down and I think 7 at 5.5m is reasonable for a guy you've already spent considerable money into developing. Hell, if Strome, Nelson and Lee all develop to the extent that Okposo did i'll be happy with that outcome, but we are definitely going to need 1 of the three to step up to a different level than that.
LeapOnOver
Mackenzie is a hack!
Do you really see the role he has on this team as a physical forward? I don't. I see his role as a guy who opens up space for teammates and has an above average shot and not bad vision. Any hitting he does is a bonus on my book. Way better than egg shell Bailey.
If he's forechecking and throws a hit and jams up the play for JT to get the puck even though Okposo ends up on his ass that's fine with me. In fact, he's caused several goals doing just that. I don't really have that big of a problem with the times he falls down.
doublechili
For all intensive purposes, your nuts
- Apr 11, 2006
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The bolded is key to me and ultimately is what this all comes down to. Overpay a guy on a relatively short term contract? No problem. Overpay one guy on your roster on a long term contract. Not so bad. But overpay 2 guys on your roster on long term contracts and things start getting ugly. The Boychuk contract plus what KO will likely want would be bad in combination, unless the team's drafting is outstanding allowing them to fill top roster spots with ELC players....
blitzkriegs
Registered User
I get the sense he ends up in BOS or in TOR, if Stamkos signs there and they go on some massive offseason rebuild.
I see a guy with some good tools throttled by the hancuffs of poor decision making on a nightly basis. Tavares' greatest gift is precisely Kyle's biggest defecit. His ability to skate into trouble and lose the puck is super hero sized.
LeapOnOver
Mackenzie is a hack!
I don't think Tavares decision making is any better than KO's, it's just his skill is. So, you are more than welcome to extrapolate that to better decision making since JT feels he can pull it off, however he makes some pretty boneheaded decisions sometimes and they only pay off in goals about 10% of the time. The team just sees the warning signals and knows to back up in case JT loses the puck in traffic. With KO it's not so obvious.
I just don't understand why we (fans) are balking at 5.5m or even 6m for KO (from Staples rumors seems to be about the range) when we can pay a guy like Grabovski and Kulemin what we do. He's been developed here and we know we are going to get effort from him. If we ever can find a true first line winger to move him to the second line great, but that's better than losing him from the lineup completely. This free agency isn't going to get us anybody good enough to replace him. Would just be trading one hole for another.
There just isn't enough bad things there to quantify why KO gets so much grief. I've never seen a fanbase with such disdain for the second best scorer on the team. Even Phil Kessel gets more love in TO than KO. Even Eberle and RNH get more love than KO. Why all the beat down on a guy that's talented and flawed with poor hockey IQ. To me poor hockey IQ is a matter of having limits in your ability to learn and not doing something intentionally. I get mad at players for poor effort, not so much hockey IQ because it really "is what it is". I don't think that means that him putting up points besides his poor hockey IQ is just a reason to dump him completely looking for some "perfect player" that's going to be far more difficult to obtain.
We haven't been able to get a LW in ages, but somehow it's okay to dump KO because RW are so easy to find? I don't buy it.
YearlyLottery
The Pooch Report
I would love to see what Okposo does with a coach who can possibly work on him to simplify the game he plays. If Snow is somehow able to get rid of Grabovski and Bailey then he should sign Okposo to anything under $6.5 a year.
Lame Lambert
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Brunomics
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- Sep 2, 2006
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To me that's just ****ed up. Unless Garth already knows he's priced out.
Honestly bring in Boedkker. 26 years old and has been very successful(2 51 point season, the other 28 points in 45 games) the past three seasons. I see no reason why he wouldn't increase those point totals on the Isles and you know you won't see the drop in production with him in a long contract.
Lame Lambert
Fire Lou
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2ndGenIslander
Registered User
Lame Lambert
Fire Lou
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SI90
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