Sabres Should Counsel Okposo to Retire

[Believer]

Three concussions... Okposo is a young man... Lot of life to live... Wife an two young children... Well-established fact repetitive head injuries can lead to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and dementia later in life... Hard to understand why team doctors clear him to continue to play...

[SABRES 0311]

I wouldn’t be surprised if his wife is torn between supporting his career and wanting him to retire. Maybe if they offered him a job with the Amerks. Ellis sucked as a player and look at him. 

[Doohicksie]

Not the team's decision to make; there's a conflict of interest there considering the contract, cap space, etc.  His agent and the NHLPA should provide that kind of counseling though.

Edited February 26, 2019 by Doohickie

[Sabre Dance]

In my experience (and humble opinion), if a player is trying to decide whether or not to retire due to health reasons, the question is (or should be) already answered.  Especially if the health issue is multiple concussions. Too many players (in all sports) have decided to play one more season, only to have it come back and bite them in the end. You can't buy health and you can't set the clock back. 

[Pimlach]

He looked tentative last night.  He is not the player he once was and he is taking a big risk.   I do not think he should be playing just based on his performance.  I feel for the guy. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

I also think he should retire.  Just to much risk.  Ask Marc Savard. 

[Huckleberry]

Yeah still think he won't retire though, but the next hit might decide for him and that is scary enough.

[Sabel79]

I was at LaFontaine’s last game as a Sabre.  November, ‘96 against the Flyers.  He took what looked like a nothing check in the neutral zone and stayed down for what seemed like forever.  I posted a video of him talking about it and everything that came after in some thread awhile ago (far too lazy to find it again), positively frightening.  I was shocked when he didn’t hang it up after that.  Not at all shocked when he accidentally ran into his own guy as a Ranger the next season and that’s what ended it.  

I’m sure KO is getting the absolute best care and advice possible, and he’s a grown-up who has to make his own decision about what’s best for him and his family, but I seriously had doubts about hockey in general, not just his involvement in it, watching him go down in that fight for a variety of reasons.  

The next one’s waiting to happen, at some point it has to stop being worth it.  I’m not even talking about the money, he’ll get paid every penny one way or another.  He’s obviously a proud dude with all the qualities that get someone this far in his field, but there are so many more considerations... 

[PalmTreeMafia]

LTIR is the ideal solution for everyone, right? Okposo still gets paid, but the Sabres get cap relief. Probably the only thing standing in the way of this at the moment is Okposo's pride. But from my perspective, he already got to live his dream for 12 years in the NHL and made a lot of money doing it. He'll be 31 in April and is trapped for the next 4 years as a 4th liner on a historically incompetent franchise going nowhere. Think of your wife and kids, Kyle. It's time to retire.

[Kruppstahl]

5 hours ago, Believer said:

Three concussions... Okposo is a young man... Lot of life to live... Wife an two young children... Well-established fact repetitive head injuries can lead to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and dementia later in life... Hard to understand why team doctors clear him to continue to play...

He's a big boy and there are millions and millions of reasons for him to remain in the NHL.

He knows the risks; I am not going to be worried for his health if he is not worried himself.

 

 

 

[Cage]

What are the salary cap implications of retirement in NHL?  Must not be the same as football, where just had to eat dead cap space for Eric Woods abrupt retirement.

[erickompositör72]

7 minutes ago, Cage said:

What are the salary cap implications of retirement in NHL?  Must not be the same as football, where just had to eat dead cap space for Eric Woods abrupt retirement.

I'm sure someone will provide all of the details, but I don't think there's a penalty for the team unless the contract is signed after the player is something like 31 or 32.

[Eleven]

31 minutes ago, Kruppstahl said:

He's a big boy and there are millions and millions of reasons for him to remain in the NHL.

He knows the risks; I am not going to be worried for his health if he is not worried himself.

 

 

 

He's got to have insurance, right?

[North Buffalo]

again LTIR may be the answer

[Doohicksie]

But only if Okie asks the question.  Or gets another concussion.

[shrader]

2 hours ago, Sabel79 said:

I was at LaFontaine’s last game as a Sabre.  November, ‘96 against the Flyers.  He took what looked like a nothing check in the neutral zone and stayed down for what seemed like forever.  I posted a video of him talking about it and everything that came after in some thread awhile ago (far too lazy to find it again), positively frightening.  I was shocked when he didn’t hang it up after that.  Not at all shocked when he accidentally ran into his own guy as a Ranger the next season and that’s what ended it.  

I’m sure KO is getting the absolute best care and advice possible, and he’s a grown-up who has to make his own decision about what’s best for him and his family, but I seriously had doubts about hockey in general, not just his involvement in it, watching him go down in that fight for a variety of reasons.  

The next one’s waiting to happen, at some point it has to stop being worth it.  I’m not even talking about the money, he’ll get paid every penny one way or another.  He’s obviously a proud dude with all the qualities that get someone this far in his field, but there are so many more considerations... 

And just think about how he probably had other concussions that were never diagnosed seeing as how it was 1996.  Lafontaine may has well have been living in the stone ages compared to what they do today.

1 hour ago, erickompositör72 said:

I'm sure someone will provide all of the details, but I don't think there's a penalty for the team unless the contract is signed after the player is something like 31 or 32.

35.  The only issue with someone like Okposo when it comes to retirement would be a bit of cap recapture.  I'm too lazy to dig it up, but I believe that hit would be $1 million per year over the rest of his contract if he stopped after the season.  It's pretty minimal, so there wouldn't be all that much need to go the LTIR route.

[Taro T]

1 hour ago, Eleven said:

He's got to have insurance, right?

Back in the day, the teams took out the insurance policies rather than the players because the contracts were guaranteed.  Expect that's still the same.  In addition  to Quinn's "noble" concern for LaFontaine's health was his less altruistic concern that the insurance policy to cover Pat's contract was almost as large as the contract itself.  (Insurance against an event that's 80-90% likely to happen will cost at least 85-95% of the item (s) being protected unless some 3rd party (such as the federal government wrt floodinsurance) should intervene.)

And the league covers the players health insurance premiums.  (Haven't looked closely at the CBA regarding any copays, expect they're $0 for work related injuries.)

[Believer]

Appreciate the insight... Every player in contact sports confronts the reality... The research is indisputable... Hate to see a good guy with his history calculate the risk/reward and keep playing... Like the NFL... the NHL has a real problem...

[freester]

The Sabres could easily force his hand into choosing LTIR by sending him down to the minors like they did with Moulson.  Given the choice of the getting concussed in the ECHL or being at home with the family and not having any risk of injury he would choose LTIR.  I suspect something like this transpires this offseason especially if we need the cap space for a big free agent signing.

[shrader]

10 minutes ago, freester said:

The Sabres could easily force his hand into choosing LTIR by sending him down to the minors like they did with Moulson.  Given the choice of the getting concussed in the ECHL or being at home with the family and not having any risk of injury he would choose LTIR.  I suspect something like this transpires this offseason especially if we need the cap space for a big free agent signing.

Players no longer on an ELC have to agree to being assigned to the ECHL.  But as for the Moulson scenario, that goes right back to the discussion in the Beaulieu thread about how doing right by the player goes a long way.  They worked with Moulson to find the right situation for him and there's no reason to think they wouldn't try to do something similar if they had an issue with another player.

[Eleven]

7 minutes ago, shrader said:

Players no longer on an ELC have to agree to being assigned to the ECHL.  But as for the Moulson scenario, that goes right back to the discussion in the Beaulieu thread about how doing right by the player goes a long way.  They worked with Moulson to find the right situation for him and there's no reason to think they wouldn't try to do something similar if they had an issue with another player.

If they ever want to be the big free agent signer again...

[Taro T]

22 minutes ago, freester said:

The Sabres could easily force his hand into choosing LTIR by sending him down to the minors like they did with Moulson.  Given the choice of the getting concussed in the ECHL or being at home with the family and not having any risk of injury he would choose LTIR.  I suspect something like this transpires this offseason especially if we need the cap space for a big free agent signing.

Not that it's likely a high hurdle for a guy with a history of multiple concussions & at least 1 of which was feared to be permantently life-altering, but a league appointed doctor has to confirm the team doctor's opinion that a player belongs on BF-LTIR.  Okposo doesn't just get "to choose" that designation.  Nor can the team force him into it without going through a grievance process.

Though I agree that does appear to be best for all concerned at this point.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

7 hours ago, Believer said:

Three concussions... Okposo is a young man... Lot of life to live... Wife an two young children... Well-established fact repetitive head injuries can lead to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and dementia later in life... Hard to understand why team doctors clear him to continue to play...

Welcome!

I was hoping that another Believer would show up one day ... (insert winkie-winkie thingie here).

KO should retire.  He should not have played last night.

[shrader]

5 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Not that it's likely a high hurdle for a guy with a history of multiple concussions & at least 1 of which was feared to be permantently life-altering, but a league appointed doctor has to confirm the team doctor's opinion that a player belongs on BF-LTIR.  Okposo doesn't just get "to choose" that designation.  Nor can the team force him into it without going through a grievance process.

Though I agree that does appear to be best for all concerned at this point.

It's not even worth the hassle though.  You're probably more aware of the specifics of cap recapture, but that hit would be minimal with how his contract is structured, fairly lightly front-loaded.

[Jacque Richard]

He should retire. Don’t need him.