The Captain of Your Buffalo Sabres Kyle Okposo, Assistant Captains Zemgus Girgensons and Rasmus Dahlin

[Taro T]

34 minutes ago, In The Buff said:

I think the team & players themselves should have a say in deciding.

I mean they would know the most of who the real leaders are in the room.

I wonder how much input the players have or if this decision is made from the top.

But Kyle & Tuch make the most sense imho.

Almost positive management chose who were handed the letters this past season.  Will be interesting to see if they do it again or if they allow the players a voice in that as well now that they all seem to be on the same page.

Edited June 23, 2022 by Taro T

[Brawndo]

12 hours ago, klos1963 said:

Why should he get a front office or coaching position? Does he know how to coach? What are his skills that would help in the front office?  I like Okposo, but he's been mostly a non factor here while earning millions. Does the team really owe him future employment?

I wonder if other teams have so much fan base discussion about naming a team captain.  It really seems over the top.

Have you noticed quite a few coaching positions in the NHL are filled by former players? 

Part of His qualifications also include the fact that the Young Players on the team look up to Him, He has provided leadership throughout the past year when the team has desperately needed it. 
 

Adams had this to say about KO

Adams echoed that sentiment, saying Okposo is “right at the top of the list of impressive leaders that I’ve looked up to and respected.” Adams was a teammate of NHL captains such as Mats Sundin, Wendel Clark, Scott Mellanby, Ron Francis, Rod Brind’Amour, Doug Weight, Shane Doan and Martin Lapointe.

I see a few coaches and front office executives on that list. 
 

He would probably be offered a special assistant to the GM position or a role similar to what Dan Girardi has with the coaching staff. 
 

It’s probably a moot point as the article stated that the Okposo’s are building a new home in Minnesota, so I imagine when His Playing Career is over with Buffalo, the family moves back to Minnesota. 

 

[dudacek]

I’ve read where Okposo has a great analytical mind for the game and where he is pretty diligent follower of the league. Couple that with his obvious intelligence and leadership persona and he would seem to be a natural for a career in coaching or the front office.

[dudacek]

So it was confirmed by Adams and Granato today that there will be a captain, it’s been discussed extensively this summer.

It will be announced before the start of the season. Adams made reference to finalizing “the leadership group”.

Donnie talked about Okposo Anderson and Girgensons being great veteran leaders who aren’t threatened by the younger guys, but also how there is a large group of guys following them who can be leaders and who they want to clear the way for them to continue being leaders. He also talked about a captain not being the same as being a leader, about a captain needing to get into the faces of his teammates, and about the difficulties of younger guys acting like a captain toward older guys.

I found it interesting how the next two questions, maybe coincidentally, led him to launch into descriptions of Thompson and Dahlin that made them sound a lot like players who would be on that next tier.

It occurred to me that the three veterans that they trotted out to the media today - Okposo, Thompson and Dahlin - struck me very much as the likely C and 2 As.

[Doohicksie]

Great.  My new Tage jersey is already "vintage."

[LGR4GM]

At this point Okposo is basically Roy Kent. Doesn't matter if you give him the C, he's still the heart of the team's leadership. 

[Eleven]

15 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

At this point Okposo is basically Roy Kent. Doesn't matter if you give him the C, he's still the heart of the team's leadership. 

Roy Kent is basically Roy Keane.

[Doohicksie]

I am not familiar with either of these Roys.

Edited September 23, 2022 by Doohickie

[That Aud Smell]

10 hours ago, dudacek said:

It occurred to me that the three veterans that they trotted out to the media today - Okposo, Thompson and Dahlin - struck me very much as the likely C and 2 As.

TBN did a feature on Dahlin's emergence as a player and as a person. I'm thinking the guy will wear the C after Okposo retires.

Speaking of Dahlin's emergence as a person: That narrative dove tails with something that Adams said in his presser that I found unusual and interesting. He talked about how all of the players need that freedom and latitude to be themselves. I inferred that he wasn't talking about them as hockey players at all, really. Just that they need the freedom to be who they are. And that success will often follow that. Dahlin is testament to that, I think. 

[Huckleberry]

50 minutes ago, Eleven said:

Roy Kent is basically Roy Keane.

Roy Kean was a real ***** though, tough love kinda captain.    Everyone walked in line under him though.

[Eleven]

1 hour ago, Huckleberry said:

Roy Kean was a real ***** though, tough love kinda captain.    Everyone walked in line under him though.

Yeah, that's what Roy Kent is supposed to be in the show.

[Eleven]

1 hour ago, Doohickie said:

I am not familiar with either of these Roys.

Roy Kent is the fictional team captain in the first season of Ted Lasso.  The character is heavily based upon Roy Keane, who was a real-life captain of Manchester United and Ireland.  

[Curt]

11 hours ago, That Aud Smell said:

TBN did a feature on Dahlin's emergence as a player and as a person. I'm thinking the guy will wear the C after Okposo retires.

Speaking of Dahlin's emergence as a person: That narrative dove tails with something that Adams said in his presser that I found unusual and interesting. He talked about how all of the players need that freedom and latitude to be themselves. I inferred that he wasn't talking about them as hockey players at all, really. Just that they need the freedom to be who they are. And that success will often follow that. Dahlin is testament to that, I think. 

I get the impression that Dahlin is very serious hockey and puts a lot of pressure on himself to be excellent.  That combined with struggling to get good results while trying to do the stupid things Krueger was asking him to, and I think Dahlin ended up in a bit of a bad place mentally where he was playing very tight, low on confidence, and desperate to prove that he can be a great player.  It affected his mindset both on and off the ice.

With help from the current coaching staff he got himself turned around.

[GoPuckYourself]

I'd really love for the Sabres to not pick the safe choice here to be honest, Alex Tuch is most likely the captain after Okposo's contract is up next year, I think he is the do everything Shane Doan type of leader we need here. I like Okposo, he seems like a great guy but I don't see him being here after this season so why go through this all again next year? 

[dudacek]

1 hour ago, GoPuckYourself said:

I'd really love for the Sabres to not pick the safe choice here to be honest, Alex Tuch is most likely the captain after Okposo's contract is up next year, I think he is the do everything Shane Doan type of leader we need here. I like Okposo, he seems like a great guy but I don't see him being here after this season so why go through this all again next year? 

 

On 9/22/2022 at 8:08 PM, dudacek said:

Donnie talked about Okposo Anderson and Girgensons being great veteran leaders who aren’t threatened by the younger guys, but also how there is a large group of guys following them who can be leaders and who they want to clear the way for them to continue being leaders. He also talked about a captain not being the same as being a leader, about a captain needing to get into the faces of his teammates, and about the difficulties of younger guys acting like a captain toward older guys.

I think Okposo is the best captain for now and the most likely successor is still forming.

Okposo gets named now because he is the captain, he's the guy the room looks to. His potential successors get the As while continuing to grow into role so one is ready when the C becomes available.

It's a process that is natural and organic, one that represents what is, rather than what is hoped for.

[PerreaultForever]

I still say Tuch. He showed me leadership last year already but most of all it's that whole kid in a Sabres jersey thing. Adams talking about "players who want to be here" and rebuilding that local community identity. Tuch will bleed blue and gold and restore what used to be. What he remembers from his own childhood. He's the one guy we have who can mean every word he says, from the heart, and I think he'd turn out to be the best captain since Peca. 

[LTS]

I don't know who they choose. I would suspect they will lean heavily on the players themselves as this year presents an interesting situation.

Okposo is a UFA.  Naming him "C" presents an interesting look at the trade deadline.

Will Okposo want to be moved to a cup contender?  There's no doubt someone in the playoffs will take him, especially when the Sabres retain 50% of his salary.

Do you trade your "C"?  Does he come back next season, at a lower cap hit, anyway?

I think all of that plays into who the "C" is.  If they name Okposo "C" then I believe there's a good chance he's told the Sabres that either he doesn't want to be moved OR he's coming back next year, no matter what.  Otherwise it seems like a silly move to name an interim "C" which is effectively what Okposo would be. 

Now, if the Sabres are making the playoffs that changes the discussion.

[Zamboni]

1 hour ago, LTS said:

I don't know who they choose. I would suspect they will lean heavily on the players themselves as this year presents an interesting situation.

Okposo is a UFA.  Naming him "C" presents an interesting look at the trade deadline.

Will Okposo want to be moved to a cup contender?  There's no doubt someone in the playoffs will take him, especially when the Sabres retain 50% of his salary.

Do you trade your "C"?  Does he come back next season, at a lower cap hit, anyway?

I think all of that plays into who the "C" is.  If they name Okposo "C" then I believe there's a good chance he's told the Sabres that either he doesn't want to be moved OR he's coming back next year, no matter what.  Otherwise it seems like a silly move to name an interim "C" which is effectively what Okposo would be. 

Now, if the Sabres are making the playoffs that changes the discussion.

The Sabres have a rich history of naming someone captain and within 1 to 3 seasons … that captain is no longer a Sabre. So it’s certainly not out of the ordinary, if they’re named KO captain for one season.  
 

And the Sabres absolutely will not retain half of his salary in order to move him. So that point is moot.

KO will be a leader this season regardless of a letter being slapped on his jersey.

[LTS]

6 hours ago, Zamboni said:

The Sabres have a rich history of naming someone captain and within 1 to 3 seasons … that captain is no longer a Sabre. So it’s certainly not out of the ordinary, if they’re named KO captain for one season.  
 

And the Sabres absolutely will not retain half of his salary in order to move him. So that point is moot.

KO will be a leader this season regardless of a letter being slapped on his jersey.

How many of those people in the rich history were UFAs during the season they were named captain?

Why do you think they would not, nay ABSOLUTELY would not retain half his salary?  Seems a rather odd point to be absolute on.

And yes.. KO is a leader, but the conversation wasn't about him being a leader.

[Eleven]

A letter on the chest won't stop the Sabres from trading him and may even bump his value, like Pominville (yes I realize he was named captain before his UFA year).  And I do think the Sabres would retain salary for the right return.

Edited September 26, 2022 by Eleven

[Rasmus_]

He's a great choice, I wonder if they sign him to a few years at a much lower cap hit with the C put on him.   It's amazing it's already been 7 years. 

[steveoath]

I think the insane part is thinking KA would trade Kyle tbh. 

[sabills]

21 hours ago, Zamboni said:

The Sabres have a rich history of naming someone captain and within 1 to 3 seasons … that captain is no longer a Sabre. So it’s certainly not out of the ordinary, if they’re named KO captain for one season.  
 

And the Sabres absolutely will not retain half of his salary in order to move him. So that point is moot.

KO will be a leader this season regardless of a letter being slapped on his jersey.

Last 6 Captains:
 

Craig Rivet:  Oct. 2008 - Feb. 2011 (Waived) 

Jason Pominville: 2011-12 - April 2013 (Traded)

Thomas Vanek: Oct. 2013 (Traded)

Steve Ott: Oct. 2013 - Feb. 2014 (Traded)

Brian Gionta: 2014-15 - 2016-17 (Left in Free Agency)

Jack Eichel: 2018-19 - 2020-21 (Traded)



Yeah...as a franchise they don't mind moving guys just because they're the Captain. 4 of the last 6 were traded or waived mid-season while captain.

Edited September 26, 2022 by sabills

[Doohicksie]

On 9/25/2022 at 9:16 AM, LTS said:

Do you trade your "C"?

As a rule for the Sabres.... yes.

[Doohicksie]

On 9/25/2022 at 10:43 AM, Zamboni said:

The Sabres have a rich history of naming someone captain and within 1 to 3 seasons … that captain is no longer a Sabre. So it’s certainly not out of the ordinary, if they’re named KO captain for one season.  

Recent history is that most Sabres captains have been traded.  I might, however, point out that this may be a byproduct of the rapid changes the Sabres have gone through in the last decade +.