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Trade value (if any) of Kyle Okposo?


Zamboni

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Last night a half assed convo happened in the GDT about if Kyle Okposo has any trade value and what it would be.

https://www.capfriendly.com/players/kyle-okposo

 

1. Kyle is signed for three more years AFTER this season at a cap hit of 6 mil per.

2. Kyle has had four concussions in under three years. And that's just with the Sabres. 

3. Kyle will be 32 in April, so his current contract takes him to 35.

4. Between age and injuries, he has obviously lost a signifiant step in his speed and production. 

5. Kyle has a Modified NTC, which makes it tougher to move.

 

Trade debates ...

Is he 100% unmovable when considering all factors?

Is he almost unmovable?

Is his salary moveable IF the Sabres add draft picks and/or prospects?

Is he moveable if the Sabres retain a portion of his salary?

Can the Sabres afford to retain a portion of his salary?

Can the Sabres realistically waive him in hopes a team would pick him and his salary up?

Is there really any way to shed him and his salary?

 

My thoughts are, he has an almost unmovable contract due to his age, injury history, current production, and his bloated contract. 

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As for trading Kyle, let's do a thought experiment.

I think it would be difficult, if not impossible, to get another team to assume his salary.  So make the assumption the Sabres retain 50% of his salary.

If we trade him, how much will we pay his replacement?  How well will the replacement play on the Larsson line?  Will there be any drop off in the Chemistry of the line?

If the Sabres need to pay a player any more than $3M to replace his production on that line, then no, it doesn't make sense to trade him.

If he can be replaced by someone coming out of Rochester are a prospect returned in trade, then maybe you should trade him.

But the trend seems to be that prospects need to put on weight when they first get to the NHL.  If the replacement is expected to a style similar to Kyle's, then a prospect/Rochester promotion might not work, because Kyle plays a very heavy game.  The Toronto press wanted a suspension for his hit on Dermott last night. 

Could Lazar replace him?  If you think he could, then yeah, maybe you move him if you can find a partner that will take him if the Sabres retain 50%.

I doubt another team will take him straight up for another player or pick though.  More likely you'd have to slip him in as part of a larger trade.

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Remember when everyone thought Jochen Hecht sucked, but really the problem was just that he was overpaid relative to what he brought to the team? Same situation here.  Okposo has value; he's just overpriced.  They should keep him.

Also, I'm amused that this discussion is nearly simultaneous with a suggestion that the Sabs acquire $10m/year Kopitar.

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Whether they should keep KO or not is kind of a mute point imo. As already stated, his contract makes it near impossible to move him if you even wanted to.

More likely what happens is that he plays out his contract here until kyle retires. I wish him good health but with the style of play he has, and his history of concussions, i'm afraid he's just another hit away from getting another one & hanging it up. That thought has already been part of the discussion with Kyle. So if that god forbid does happen again, I don't see KO playing out to the end of his contract at 35 anyways.

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1 hour ago, Eleven said:

Remember when everyone thought Jochen Hecht sucked, but really the problem was just that he was overpaid relative to what he brought to the team? Same situation here.  Okposo has value; he's just overpriced.  They should keep him.

Also, I'm amused that this discussion is nearly simultaneous with a suggestion that the Sabs acquire $10m/year Kopitar.

Hecht wasn't even particularly overpaid; many people here just considered that to be the case.

Okposo is essentially untradeable because it is hard to see any way that the Sabres end up netting as much value (solid checking line play contributing an odd goal here or there for $6MM of lost cap space and actual out of pocket $'s to the owners with 1 of 50 player slots filled and no picks nor prospects lost from the team's pool of assets) relative to what they'll have afterwards should Botterill find a partner to work a deal.

Especially considering there is a more than realistic possibility that well before the contract ends 3+ seasons from now that package will sadly become no checking line duties performed, no cap hit, a freed up slot on the 50 man protected list, and whatever the insurance deductible is on the contract out of pocket; have a hard time believing they'd have a greater asset collection after a trade than they have now.

Edited by Taro T
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7 hours ago, Eleven said:

Remember when everyone thought Jochen Hecht sucked, but really the problem was just that he was overpaid relative to what he brought to the team? Same situation here.  Okposo has value; he's just overpriced.  They should keep him.

Also, I'm amused that this discussion is nearly simultaneous with a suggestion that the Sabs acquire $10m/year Kopitar.

He's overpriced because he's not living up to the contract he signed. He was the top free agent available at the time and he hasn't produced. I don't think the Hecht comparison is a good one. He was never a top flight top 3/6 forward.

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8 minutes ago, klos1963 said:

He's overpriced because he's not living up to the contract he signed. He was the top free agent available at the time and he hasn't produced. I don't think the Hecht comparison is a good one. He was never a top flight top 3/6 forward.

He's living up to it.  He plays hockey, and the Sabres pay him for it.

Don't know if you were around here for the Hecht years, but the comparison definitely is apt.

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11 hours ago, Eleven said:

He's living up to it.  He plays hockey, and the Sabres pay him for it.

Don't know if you were around here for the Hecht years, but the comparison definitely is apt.

Hecht was a much more valuable player than Okposo is. Hecht could play anywhere in the middle of your roster and had center versatility. Okposo is strictly a 4th line winger. Not even close to the same. 

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So, reading the comments, it looks like he’s pretty unmovable. Not impossible. But very hard to move that bloated contract with all things considered. 
Paying him 6 mil. to play on the bottom six, is Matt Moulson territory all over again. Ugh. I like KO, I really do. But that’s gonna be a hard pill to swallow for the next 3 years after this year.
And I would hate to give away good prospects or a good roster guy just to rid ourselves of his contract. We’re stuck.

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i wouldnt say its impossible. didnt chicago move move that guy that basically "didnt retire" but stopped playing. i cant remember the guys name. 

basically it was him and a pick for like a player to be never named. just to get him off of their books. i dont remember the details though. it was definitely a legal, but shady move

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2 hours ago, miles said:

i wouldnt say its impossible. didnt chicago move move that guy that basically "didnt retire" but stopped playing. i cant remember the guys name. 

basically it was him and a pick for like a player to be never named. just to get him off of their books. i dont remember the details though. it was definitely a legal, but shady move

Marion Hossa - to the Coyotes. AZ had plenty of cap space to absorb the contract and get something good in return. They've done this a few times, it's worked out well.

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