David Pagnotta: Sabres Exploring Trading Okposo to Seattle

[WildCard]

"They're not in cap trouble, but I think they would like to be in a position somehow to alleviate a little bit of that cap pressure to allow them to make some other moves," Pagnotta said. "So I think there has been a discussion with Seattle with respect to Kyle Okposo. I don't know if it's gotten anywhere, but I know that there's been some type of discussion from the perspective."

Edited July 9, 2021 by WildCard

[Randall Flagg]

IMO, not worth it.

[Mustache of God]

GMKA: Hey, do you want Okposo?

GMRF: What? No.

GMKA: Ok, bye.

[WildCard]

Okposo has 2 years left at a $6M cap hit

[Taro T]

If all it takes to get to keep Borgen & Bjork and lose Okposo's cap hit is a 4th or a 'meh' prospect or maybe even a 3rd, then sure.

But if it's more than a 3rd, no thank you.

[nfreeman]

3 minutes ago, Taro T said:

If all it takes to get to keep Borgen & Bjork and lose Okposo's cap hit is a 4th or a 'meh' prospect or maybe even a 3rd, then sure.

But if it's more than a 3rd, no thank you.

I agree, but it just seems like Seattle would require a much better sweetener than a 3rd or meh prospect.

[pi2000]

Glad to hear they are exploring this, I brought this scenario up a while back... SEA needs to hit a minimum cap floor with their expansion "draft" picks only.    A guy like Okposo would provide leadership to a young franchise and help them hit the cap floor.   

However, it might cost Buffalo another player or a draft pick in exchange. 

It's certainly do-able and would help free up money for Dahlin, etc.    

[dudacek]

5 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

I agree, but it just seems like Seattle would require a much better sweetener than a 3rd or meh prospect.

Okposo in the expansion draft and 1 for 2, but you gotta promise to take a defenceman.

Edited July 9, 2021 by dudacek

[Taro T]

6 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

I agree, but it just seems like Seattle would require a much better sweetener than a 3rd or meh prospect.

Pretty sure you're correct.  But especially if Eichel & 1-4 others that should be part of this team moving forward are gone, that $6MM cap hit is no burden whatsoever & really don't see the difference in value between Borgen & Miller or a UFA as being a high 2nd rounder, nor the difference between Bjork & the Sabres 9th available F as being worth a high 2nd rounder either.

So, if he can be moved cheaply enough, sure, move that contract.  But don't go crazy trying to do it.  That cap space isn't too valuable this year, unless Adams & Granato are really good poker players & the full on youth movement is a bluff / misread worse than Perreault for Lemaire was.

Edited July 9, 2021 by Taro T

[Eleven]

Just now, dudacek said:

Okposo and 1 for 2, but you gotta promise to take a defenceman.

Or maybe Okposo and 1 for 2, but Seattle has to take a player specified by the Sabres.

[PromoTheRobot]

I really expected Okposo to have a big role with the Sabres youth, so I'm surprised there's talk of moving him. No takers for Skinner?

[Weave]

I could see Okposo being a very valuable locker room addition. He might not need much of a sweeter to move depending on how Seattle wants to build there team.

[dudacek]

You know what I’m finding very interesting?

In that podcast with Millard (in the Granato thread, well worth the listen), Donnie gushed about how helpful four veterans were in helping transform the team’s attitude post-Ralph.

Staal is gone, and apparently Reinhart, Risto and Okposo trades are being seriously considered.

Seems odd to rob the new coach of all the guys he was leaning on.

Taking that a step further, Eichel, McCabe, Okposo, Reinhart and Ristolainen all wore letters last year. There is a good chance all could be gone. Has that ever happened?

[pi2000]

Just now, PromoTheRobot said:

I really expected Okposo to have a big role with the Sabres youth, so I'm surprised there's talk of moving him. No takers for Skinner?

Skinner wants to stay in Buffalo.   

Okposo does have a M-NTC (15 team no-trade list).   If I'm him, Seattle is on my list.

[Weave]

1 minute ago, PromoTheRobot said:

I really expected Okposo to have a big role with the Sabres youth, so I'm surprised there's talk of moving him. No takers for Skinner?

Yeah, i think he’s the type of vet that really gets the attention of the kids.  I know most want him gone but IMO he’s a valuable presence.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

At this point it would probably not be worth moving Kyle.

I like Kyle and he has a leadership role to play on this team.

[dudacek]

1 minute ago, Weave said:

Yeah, i think he’s the type of vet that really gets the attention of the kids.  I know most want him gone but IMO he’s a valuable presence.

One of my favourite people (as opposed to players) on this team over this long, dark period. He will move I to management and I hope it happens here.

Separately, how credible is Pagnotta? I’ve always considered him a step above Eklund, but far below the real insiders.

Edited July 9, 2021 by dudacek

[Curt]

1 minute ago, pi2000 said:

Skinner wants to stay in Buffalo.   

Okposo does have a M-NTC (15 team no-trade list).   If I'm him, Seattle is on my list.

He doesn’t get to put Seattle on a list for the expansion draft.  If he is an expansion draft pick, the NTC does not give him any protection from that.

[Weave]

2 minutes ago, dudacek said:

One of my favourite people (as opposed to players) on this team over this long, dark period.

Yup.  You can count on the fingers of one hand (and have fingers left over) the number of players on this team that I genuinely like over the last 7 years.  KO tops the list.

Edited July 9, 2021 by Weave

[Thorner]

33 minutes ago, WildCard said:

"They're not in cap trouble, but I think they would like to be in a position somehow to alleviate a little bit of that cap pressure to allow them to make some other moves," Pagnotta said. "So I think there has been a discussion with Seattle with respect to Kyle Okposo. I don't know if it's gotten anywhere, but I know that there's been some type of discussion from the perspective."

Encouraging? A team with no expectations would probably be content to sit on that 6 mil 

14 minutes ago, Eleven said:

Or maybe Okposo and 1 for 2, but Seattle has to take a player specified by the Sabres.

Well there’d be nothing in it for Seattle then lol. The player the Sabres tell them to take obviously wouldn’t be a guy we are targeting so Seattle gets no benefit moving past us in the draft 

Edited July 9, 2021 by Thorny

[nfreeman]

15 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Okposo in the expansion draft and 1 for 2, but you gotta promise to take a defenceman.

 

13 minutes ago, Eleven said:

Or maybe Okposo and 1 for 2, but Seattle has to take a player specified by the Sabres.

Interesting, but tricky to execute -- because as soon as KA starts providing names to the Kraken, they would know whom KA wants, which would eliminate their incentive to trade up from #2.  I suppose they could do something clever like the Darcy napkin approach.

But if they can work out the mechanics, I would do this in a heartbeat -- and it would be a great move by KA to shed KO without giving up anything of value.

 

14 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Pretty sure you're correct.  But especially if Eichel & 1-4 others that should be part of this team moving forward are gone, that $6MM cap hit is no burden whatsoever & really don't see the difference in value between Borgen & Miller or a UFA as being a high 2nd rounder, nor the difference between Bjork & the Sabres 9th available F as being worth a high 2nd rounder either.

So, if he can be moved cheaply enough, sure, move that contract.  But don't go crazy trying to do it.  That cap space isn't too valuable this year, unless Adams & Granato are really good poker players & the full on youth movement is a bluff / misread worse than Perreault for Lemaire was.

I totally agree with the bolded -- NFW would I give up a 2nd-rounder for them to take KO.  But I would agree to make Miller available in the expansion draft if that's whom the Kraken want.

Also, you're right that the Sabres aren't immediately desperate for cap space, but I think it's still a valuable commodity.

 

 

[inkman]

I thought he played a serviceable role last season especially under Granato. 

[bob_sauve28]

Let’s see, he’s older, has a history of serious head injuries, is way overpaid. Ya, I’m sure Seattle would love to have him. This story makes no sense 

[thewookie1]

I see 2 scenarios:

1. The Sabres know there is a good chance they won't have a Top 12 F spot for Okposo and are at very least floating the idea to Seattle so that Kyle can have more of chance to play.

2. The Sabres are merely investigating costs for the expansion draft and are considering taking on a different contract in the Eichel trade thus are trying to separate themselves from his 2x6mil. 

[Mustache of God]

This conversation really harkens back to the Vegas expansion draft when every fanbase was convinced they could dupe Vegas into taking a bad cap hit for a little extra something-something. Vegas did not do any of that and instead went on to get to the Stanley Cup Finals in their inaugural season. 

That is a model Seattle will likely follow. They will not ne taking on an underproducing, overpaid player on the worst team in the league, even though he's a great "locker-room guy".

15 minutes ago, inkman said:

I thought he played a serviceable role last season especially under Granato. 

Okposo had a stretch of 12-15 games where we was almost at a PPG production level.  Hoping we can see more of that next season.