Player Discussion Kyle Okposo - Farewell Okie

[DJN21]

The problem with Okposo's current and likely now normal form, aside from the long-term anchor deal, is that we also have slow, dead-ass Pominville and Berglund locked into spots. That is a whole line. Pominville should've been bought out.

Berglund hasn't played an actual game yet to deserve being lumped with them. Not that I supported the trade at all but still, seems early. And the okposo contract is not like the others either. Poms will be in a head office role this time next year.

As for ko wish him the best because he is a great human being, but have the lowest of expectations.

 

[Buffaloed]

It should be made clear that Okposo's health crisis wasn't caused by a reaction to medication. It has been reported as such numerous times.

 

[Paxon]

Berglund hasn't played an actual game yet to deserve being lumped with them. Not that I supported the trade at all but still, seems early. And the okposo contract is not like the others either. Poms will be in a head office role this time next year.

As for ko wish him the best because he is a great human being, but have the lowest of expectations.

I'm not saying Berglund is definitely trash. The point is he's awfully slow, which we can tell clearly in the preseason and already knew from last season, and past his prime. Those things are also true for Okposo and Pominville. Having all three makes it a much bigger issue than it'd otherwise be if we had, say, just Okposo.

 

[DJN21]

I'm not saying Berglund is definitely trash. The point is he's awfully slow, which we can tell clearly in the preseason and already knew from last season, and past his prime. Those things are also true for Okposo and Pominville. Having all three makes it a much bigger issue than it'd otherwise be if we had, say, just Okposo.

That's why you spread them out through the lineup.

Yes ik that phil will prove me wrong and make that an actual line lol

 

[WeDislikeEich]

That article on what Okposo went through was unbelieveable. I knew it was bad, but I didn’t know thr extent.

I give him a lot of credit for opening up.

 

[Samsonite23]

I'm on the verge of tears at work. My god, talk about living a nightmare. He actually did for days on end.

That article is so powerful without even revealing what he had fully been through.

 

[WeDislikeEich]

I'm on the verge of tears at work. My god, talk about living a nightmare. He actually did for days on end.

That article is so powerful without even revealing what he had fully been through.

Yeah I got choked up reading parts of that article.

Tim Graham is very good at writing these types of articles.

 

[Gabrielor]

Powerful article. Glad he made it back, not to hockey, just to living.

Shoutout to Matt Moulson too, who gets mentioned in the article as sleeping in the hospital lobby to check on his friend. Powerful stuff.

 

[Sabre the Win]

Good.

“Now I’m getting back to where I want to be elite again,” Kyle said. “I want to be the player that I know I can be. I want to challenge myself to be more of that person, to be the person that says what’s on his mind.”

For example, if a teammate is dogging it at practice, then Kyle intends to put him on blast.

 

[Samsonite23]

Good.

Speaking to that...it's pretty much guaranteed he gets an A again.

 

[Dingo44]

I teared up.

 

[ZZamboni]

I wish I could read it. I don’t have The Athletic.
Oh well. I’m sure it was a good article.

 

[HaNotsri]

I wish I could read it. I don’t have The Athletic.
Oh well. I’m sure it was a good article.

It’s free if you use the app and give them a burner email account.
Short, simplified, version:
Okposo snapped after the concussion, went completely insane, changed personality and started calling people to tell them off, played a good game, then a bad one where he kept falling over, stopped sleeping and wanted to be put in a coma before his wife got him to the hospital. There they had extreme trouble putting him to sleep and he pretty much lost all connection to reality. With time and the help of some fantastic doctors they got him back.

They suspect it had more to do with repressed memories/trauma than the actual concussion.

 

[Reddawg]

I never realized it was a hit in practice that was the catalyst for all of his trouble...he doesn't mention the player that hit him but is that known information?

 

[Reddawg]

Also, I'm all done criticizing Okposo for good and always. I'll never say another critical word about him or his game as long as he's with the team. What a horrible thing to go through and battle back from.

 

[sabrebuild]

Two guys, that we know of on one team in a season and a half.

How many other guys are just holding on due to incredible will power and a fear of doing anything else with their lives.

I hope this triggers the Sabres to invest heavily in mental health work with their entire organization. I would gladly trade another facility from the Pegulas for a few more doctors.

 

[Reddawg]

Two guys, that we know of on one team in a season and a half.

How many other guys are just holding on due to incredible will power and a fear of doing anything else with their lives.

I hope this triggers the Sabres to invest heavily in mental health work with their entire organization. I would gladly trade another facility from the Pegulas for a few more doctors.

More doctors to talk to doesn't guarantee the player(s) will take that crucial first step of starting the conversation. Unfortunately. However much of a stigma mental health carries for the rest of us, for a professional athlete it's much more profound. Thankfully that seems to be changing, and with the articles in the Players Tribune and on the Athletic, it seems to be opening up the floodgates a bit for a lot of guys. Which is wonderful, as it's clear there are a whole lot of hockey players who need this kind of help.

 

[sabrebuild]

More doctors to talk to doesn't guarantee the player(s) will take that crucial first step of starting the conversation. Unfortunately. However much of a stigma mental health carries for the rest of us, for a professional athlete it's much more profound. Thankfully that seems to be changing, and with the articles in the Players Tribune and on the Athletic, it seems to be opening up the floodgates a bit for a lot of guys. Which is wonderful, as it's clear there are a whole lot of hockey players who need this kind of help.

More doctors, more emphasis, more privacy, more everything regarding mental health at every stage of life, whether pro athlete or homeless.

 

[Beerz]

More doctors, more emphasis, more privacy, more everything regarding mental health at every stage of life, whether pro athlete or homeless.

its pretty much available to all... the problem is the stigma attached to it and ppl being willing to seek help

 

[ZZamboni]

It’s free if you use the app and give them a burner email account.
Short, simplified, version:
Okposo snapped after the concussion, went completely insane, changed personality and started calling people to tell them off, played a good game, then a bad one where he kept falling over, stopped sleeping and wanted to be put in a coma before his wife got him to the hospital. There they had extreme trouble putting him to sleep and he pretty much lost all connection to reality. With time and the help of some fantastic doctors they got him back.

They suspect it had more to do with repressed memories/trauma than the actual concussion.

Thank you for the highlights/lowlights. That's incredible. Glad he's better.

 

[hizzoner]

Mental health issues are getting a lot more exposure these days especially in high profile personalities. It is essential as posters have said above that family, friends and employers work through these issues. Not just for humanitarian reasons although that is the big reason number one. Okposo has to be honest with himself, his doctors and his employers through this but Okposo too has to realize he cannot expect special treatment if he cannot fulfil the terms of his contract. If he is not worthy of a spot on the team then there are tough decisions to make. My hope is he recovers to be a top 6 forward. After all he has gone through we all hope for that.

 

[1972]

Alex Nylander might be the second best winger in this organization at this point

 

[PatrikBerglund]

Hasn't Okposo looked absolutely terrible in the pre-season games?

 

[Gabrielor]

Hasn't Okposo looked absolutely terrible in the pre-season games?

Looked great yesterday.

 

[HaNotsri]

Looked great yesterday.

To me he looked like a decapitated hen. The legs were working hard but his movements were kind of random and never really led anywhere.