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Okposo to fourth line?


Eleven

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https://buffalonews.com/2018/12/30/buffalo-sabres-new-york-islanders-kyle-okposo-phil-housley-nhl-news/

 

This is not a good idea.  First, no one else really has the talent to step into that slot, anyway.  Second, half of the problem is that Okposo doesn't have anyone to play with.  Third, you're just going to demoralize the guy.

Fine, I don't get to watch practices; maybe he's not practicing hard.  But I doubt it.

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With Larsson as the only healthy & rostered member of the Shut Down line, that demotion to the "4th line" looks more like a demotion to the 3rd line (playing time wise).  Thompson & Pominville will most likely get less ice time than Okposo gets.  And considering it's been a while since any F not on the 1st or 4th has scored a non-empty netter, this MIGHT not be as much of a demotion as it appears at 1st blush. (OK, so it is a demotion, but not as huge as it might seem to be.)

Expect we're actually close to trying Larsson centering Sheary & Okposo to find a functional 2ndary line.

Honestly, with the team having at least 1 day off after the next 4 games (and 2 or more for all but 1 of those), I would seriously consider giving Eichel at least 1, if not 2 shifts a period with another line in addition to his regular duty JUST for the next handful of games.  Primarily working those around the TV timeouts.  3 of those games are at home & the other is in Eichel's home away from home.  Just trying to find a way to get some other guys going.  Might even on occassion give Reinhart an extra shift with another line as well.  And the only reason this is being suggested is the teamis at a light (gamewise) load and 3 of these games are at home so Housley can get the matchups he wants.

I would also seriously consider pulling either Smith or Crisicuolo or O'Regan up just to see if they could luck into a spark with some of the wingers.  (Realizing Smith isn't a center but he's been tried there & realuzing that neither of the other 2 look like NHLers.)  This would hopefully just be a short term thing until Botterill could find some (reasonably cheap in terms of assets to give up) C help from elsewhere.

Any word on when Wilson will be back?  Could probably recreate a reasonable fascimile of the 28-22-10 shutdown line when he and Girgensons are back.

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6 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Couldn't read the article on my tablet.  Just looking at the lines from practice & what it would take with Girgensons out to get back to 2 useful lines.

Article:  Dropping Okposo to fourth line.  

11:  Not smart.

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29 minutes ago, Eleven said:

Article:  Dropping Okposo to fourth line.  

11:  Not smart.

Well, calling it the 4th line & giving it the least ice time of the 4 lines is not necessarily the same thing.  REALLY expect that line will get more & tougher usage than the Sobotka line.

Edited by Taro T
Fixed the &$#÷$# I's for Andrew. ;)
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3 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Well, callingit the 4th line & givingit the leastice time of the 4 linesis not necessarily the same thing.  REALLY expect that line will get more & tougher usage than the Sobotka line.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so challenged by the space bar in a post. 

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9 minutes ago, Andrew Amerk said:

I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so challenged by the space bar in a post. 

It's the MF'ing tablet.  I can't type a word that starts with an i unless it is I or I' something.  So, I write the post out & then try to find all the I words and go back and add the space before them.  Had a notification right as I'd finished that one & just forgot to edit it.

Can't use emoji's either since the website updated.  1st world problems.

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3 hours ago, Weave said:

He's not a 4th line player.  But he hasn't been productive either.

He needs a center.  I suppose PH is looking to build a line that isn't so dependent on a center.  Good luck with that.

I agree. He's not a 4th line player. To me, 4th line means shutdown/penalty kill players. Girgensons, Larsson, Elie, etc............ Okposo isn't worth anything at this point. Perhaps his head issues have played a major part in his decline. Perhaps not being with Tavares played a major part in his decline (read Matt Moulson). 

 

At this point, he's just a liability. You can't trade him............. his contract is too long to buy him out and make some room............... What do you do?

 

Do you trade him to a team willing to take on a huge contract to get themselves out of the basement? Maybe retain 50% of his contract in a deal with another team? 

 

He's just wasting a roster spot. Not sure how he is in the locker room and is deserving of the A he has........ but there is no room for him moving forward. 

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23 minutes ago, Taro T said:

It's the MF'ing tablet.  I can't type a word that starts with an i unless it is I or I' something.  So, I write the post out & then try to find all the I words and go back and add the space before them.  Had a notification right as I'd finished that one & just forgot to edit it.

Can't use emoji's either since the website updated.  1st world problems.

It's the least of your problems; be honest.  

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2 hours ago, Eleven said:

It's the least of your problems; be honest.  

You judging or just saying... sorry couldn't resist.?   Moving KO to the Larrson line may get him going.  KO plays hard and might fit there well.  He is good on the forecheck and hits.  Might get him going... even if not he can't cause havoc.  In addition.  I see the fourth line more as Sabres 2nd line at this point with usage and scoring.  KOs biggest deal is I don't see him going to the net like he used to.  Not sure if its head issues or what because he seems to play hard behind the net and on the boards.

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14 hours ago, Eleven said:

you're just going to demoralize the guy.

I'm not going to worry about his morale.  I think he'll be okay.

His pairing with Mitts has run its course, try him with someone else.  What little secondary scoring we've gotten has come from Larsson's line.  Maybe tossing him a weapon will improve upon that.

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KO is simply no longer relevant in the current NHL.  Worse case scenario for the Sabres.  Can't play him on L2 or L3 because he is wasting a spot for others who either have more speed more potential or more responsible.  Putting him on L4 may diminish the effectiveness of that line.  Can't trade him, can't buy him out either.  His only value is taking up a spot on the roster in case the team gets hit with a serious injury bug.  I'd almost consider a trade where we take somebody's else's long term baggage in return as long as that asset can bring something that KO simply does not have.

Give the "A" to somebody else and send him to the minors (if possible) to see if he can reacquire a scoring touch.  Addition by subtraction.

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My problem with KO has been that he is constantly losing the puck, poor passing, over stick handling, not enough speed or poor decision making.

I think he could still be a decent trigger man, win the odd board battle and play the cycle game in the O-zone if paired with the right linemates. 

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With Girgensons out & Berglund gone, until Wilson comes back, is there a more effective choice to try to maintain the 2nd best line's utility?

Would expect Sobotka would be reasonable (though not good) in that role, but until there is a 4th skater Housley would try at C, he seems to be locked into the non-Mittelstadt middle 6 C.

With Girgensons in the lineup, ok with Rodrigues there also.  Not a fan of him and Elie both flanking Larsson.

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3 hours ago, French Collection said:

My problem with KO has been that he is constantly losing the puck, poor passing, over stick handling, not enough speed or poor decision making.

I think he could still be a decent trigger man, win the odd board battle and play the cycle game in the O-zone if paired with the right linemates. 

Yep my take exactly. I've seen too many times where he'll have the puck along the boards in the offensive zone, only to skate back towards the blue line to cough the puck up, leading to a breakout the opposite way. He either tries to do too much or simply can't stickhandle like he'd like to. I think he'd be much more effective just bringing the puck down low & working the puck from there. Or imo, simply not play at all.

With CJ Smith being recalled & the news of KO being demoted, I'm relieved that HCPH appears to finally be doing something to address this.

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7 hours ago, Carmel Corn said:

KO is simply no longer relevant in the current NHL.  Worse case scenario for the Sabres.  Can't play him on L2 or L3 because he is wasting a spot for others who either have more speed more potential or more responsible.  Putting him on L4 may diminish the effectiveness of that line.  Can't trade him, can't buy him out either.  His only value is taking up a spot on the roster in case the team gets hit with a serious injury bug.  I'd almost consider a trade where we take somebody's else's long term baggage in return as long as that asset can bring something that KO simply does not have.

Give the "A" to somebody else and send him to the minors (if possible) to see if he can reacquire a scoring touch.  Addition by subtraction.

 

That's probably our most viable option. The biggest problem is the length of this contract, which is 4 years beyond this one. Maybe we can take on someone else's contract turd but with a year or two less than Okposo's?

Edited by FuhrUrsinne
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18 hours ago, Taro T said:

Well, calling it the 4th line & giving it the least ice time of the 4 lines is not necessarily the same thing.  REALLY expect that line will get more & tougher usage than the Sobotka line.

Right on and great insight.  The “4th” line has been our second best line. Okposso can see more minutes, and more important minutes, with Larsson than with 17 and maybe even with 37.  

I expect that Okposso understands this.  If he does not embrace it and work hard he can turn in his “A” and join Berglund.  I’m betting he plays well in this role.  

Edited by Pimlach
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4 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Right on and great insight.  The “4th” line has been our second best line. Okposso can see more minutes, and more important minutes, with Larsson than with 17 and maybe even with 37.  

I expect that Okposso understands this.  If he does not embrace it and work hard he can turn in his “A” and join Berglund.  I’m betting he plays well in this role.  

 

That would certainly be the ideal scenario for the Sabres organization.

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9 minutes ago, French Collection said:

I haven't given up on him yet, his compete level is higher than Matty Mo's was and KO is more physical.

I think his role is going to have to evolve into the type of role Mike Grier had. And I think he still has the tools for it.  I don't think he has the teammates tho.

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