What if Kyle Okposo had delivered on the offensive promise the Buffalo Sabres bought into back in 2016?
That question hangs over his time in Buffalo, because the contract was never small and the expectations were never modest. The Sabres handed Okposo a deal worth over $40 million after he arrived from the New York Islanders, where he had been a top-line scorer. Buffalo wanted that same version of him to keep rolling.
It started with real optimism. Okposo made the All-Star team in 2017, a sign that the fit could work.
But the scoring never held up the way the Sabres needed it to. His production gradually slipped, and he never fully recreated the kind of chances and finish he had shown with the Islanders.
That decline mattered beyond his own numbers. Buffalo had to keep searching for cheaper ways to fill out the roster while carrying that contract, and the team never found the right formula with Okposo alongside Ryan O'Reilly or Jack Eichel. Even when the Sabres were rolling early in 2018 and put together a 10-game winning streak, Okposo was still part of a larger puzzle that never quite snapped into place.
The what-ifs pile up quickly from there. Eichel, O'Reilly and Okposo have all hoisted the Stanley Cup since leaving Buffalo.
If Okposo had stayed closer to the 60-point pace he once had in New York, maybe the Sabres would have ended their drought earlier with a stronger winger in place. Maybe they would not have traded O'Reilly in 2018.
It’s the kind of domino effect that makes old roster decisions linger.
Even late in his Buffalo run, the offense was still just short of where it needed to be. In 2022-23, Okposo finished with 28 points, and Buffalo missed the postseason by a single point in the standings. A little more production there might have changed the outcome.
But Okposo’s Sabres story was never only about scoring. As injuries and declining production took over, he shifted into more of a mentor role. In those final seasons, he was helping shape younger players like Rasmus Dahlin, especially as Dahlin was getting his footing early in his career.
Buffalo named Okposo captain in 2022, and that role fit what he had become. He was showing Dahlin how to lead, both on the ice and away from it. Dahlin has since grown into a leader for the Sabres, and Okposo’s influence was part of that path.
He remained well-liked by the fanbase even as the contract became a source of frustration. The Sabres moved him late in 2024 so he could chase a Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers, and he finished that run with two assists as Florida won the Cup that year.
So the Buffalo years came with clear drawbacks. The contract didn’t deliver the scoring punch the Sabres wanted, and that likely cost them in more ways than one. But Okposo also left behind something more lasting: leadership, and a model that helped players like Dahlin get back to the postseason this year.
In Other News...
Sabres May Finally Have An Answer In The Hellebuyck Chase
Ryan McLeod has quietly become one of the more interesting names in Buffalos ongoing search for a difference-making goalie. The Sabres have spent plenty of time trying to sort out their forward depth, and McLeods recent growth has only made him more appealing as a possible piece in any bigger conversation. His past connection with Jets forward Cole Perfetti adds another layer to why Winnipeg could view him favorably, especially if the Sabres ever get serious about chasing Connor Hellebuyck.
For now, though, this remains more of a fit than a finished deal. Buffalo has other young forwards who could enter the discussion, including Konsta Helenius, Zach Benson, Josh Doan, Jack Quinn and Peyton Krebs, but the exact shape of any potential package is still unclear. McLeods value has risen enough to make him a logical talking point, yet the Sabres are still in the speculative stage, waiting to see whether this chase ever turns into something concrete. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Goalie Chase Just Took A Twist Fans Wont Ignore
The Jets took one bit of uncertainty off the board by agreeing to a five-year deal with Cole Perfetti, sidestepping arbitration and keeping one of their young core pieces in place. For Buffalo, though, the bigger storyline still sits in the background: Winnipegs long-running speculation around Connor Hellebuyck, a name that has hovered over the Sabres goalie search and kept trade chatter alive around the league.
Ryan McLeod has surfaced as a logical piece in any return package, which makes the conversation around Buffalo even more interesting given the other names that have been floated. Jack Quinn and Peyton Krebs have also been mentioned as possible components, but the market still feels fluid, and the Sabres are waiting to see how far Winnipeg is willing to go before the real shape of a deal comes into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Why Sabres Fans Are Suddenly Talking Themselves Into Louis Crevier
Louis Crevier is the kind of defenseman Sabres fans can talk themselves into pretty quickly. After coming over in the deal involving Bowen Byram, the 25-year-old arrived with a season in Chicago that hinted at real growth, the sort of step forward that makes a player look less like a throw-in and more like a piece with a future. He set career highs across the board with the Blackhawks, and for a Buffalo blue line that always has room for more size and stability, that matters.
The appeal starts with the physical profile. At 6-foot-8, Crevier already stands out before he takes a shift, and he backed that up with a heavier, more complete season that showed he can contribute at both ends and play with bite. The Sabres are still sorting out what their long-term top four looks like, but Crevier has at least given the fan base a reason to wonder whether he can grow into that conversation sooner rather than later. [Read more 🡒]