Is Okposo the Real Deal?

by: Brian Bohl | Senior Writer - NY Sports Day | Friday, October 3, 2008



UNIONDALE, NY — It can be difficult for any highly touted rookie to make an immediate impact. A young scorer can galvanize a moribund franchise in the NHL, providing excitement to a franchise struggling to forge an identity.

The Islanders front office insisted all summer that the club is going through a transition, with the rebuilding project centered on young prospects like Kyle Okposo. After a nine-game introduction at the end of last season, the 20-year-old winger is looking to fulfill the expectations fans and ownership has placed on the seventh overall draft selection in 2006.

Okposo’s acclimation could determine if the Islanders can avoid the last-place predictions found in many industry publications. Mike Comrie was the Islanders leading scorer last season. But he logged just 49 points, which ranked 108th among all NHL scorers. No Islander cracked the 30-goal mark and just Comrie and Bill Guerin registered more than 20 goals.

New Islanders coach Scott Gordon put Comrie at center on Okposo’s line. The results weren’t pretty in a 3-0 preseason loss to the Devils Wednesday night at Nassau Coliseum. Comrie said Okposo possesses the skills to become an impact player.

“He’s a great player,” Comrie said about his linemate. “He’s one of those guys who creates a lot of plays because he’s so strong and his feet backs the defensemen up.”

Okposo scored two goals and added three assists in his brief call-up, capping a season that started when the 6-0, 195-pound forward was still playing in college for Minnesota. The St. Paul, Mn., native said his game plan before the Oct. 10 season opener is to get more shots on net.

“I want to make that play and get my teammates involved, but sometimes you have to be willing to pull that trigger,” Okposo said. “I’ll be looking to do that more.”

Gordon watched Okposo get off two shots—one each in the second and third periods— in 23:07 of ice time.

The Islanders scored just 189 goals last season and only added 37-year-old Doug Weight in the offseason. Miroslav Satan and Ruslan Fedotenko left for Pittsburgh, meaning the new coach needs to get offense from some new faces.

“The Devils are a pretty big team and they take up a lot of space,” Gordon said about the defense Okposo faced. “There were a lot of opportunities. He probably should have taken advantage of the shot opportunities. But the fact is he had the puck in the offensive zone, which is an important part.”

Okposo isn’t the only member of the self-proclaimed youth movement to garner attention. The organization announced the signing of 2008 first-round pick Josh Bailey to a three-year entry level contract Thursday.

“This is an exciting day for the organization as we continue to build our team with young players like Josh who have very bright futures,” Islanders General Manager Garth Snow said in a statement.

Bailey, who scored 28 goals and contributed 67 assists for 96 points in 69 games for the OHL’s Windsor team, is slated to begin the season with AHL Bridgeport barring an unexpected development.

“This is an exciting day for me and my family, especially when you sign your first NHL contract on your birthday,” said Bailey, the ninth overall draft pick. “It’s certainly a day I’ll never forget. I still have a lot of work to do and I’m willing to do it.”