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The New York Islanders are facing a slump with Kyle Okposo as the trade deadline approaches. The 27-year-old right winger is in the prime of his career and he is close to becoming an unrestricted free agent. He is a two-time 20-goal scorer and could be the perfect top-six asset for a team who is ready to make the next move.
The Islanders, who are currently holding down a postseason spot in the Eastern Conference, could risk losing Okposo for nothing if they don’t deal him. As deadline day approaches, New York GM Garth Snow has a tough decision to make. He is the Islanders’ leading scorer with 41 points this season. He is on pace for a 24-goal, 66-point campaign, and that would be the second-best point total of his career. This is fitting for Okposo, seeing as he is primed to become a UFA, which could mean big cash for him in the off-season.
Okposo is in the final year of a 5-year, $14-million deal he signed in May 2011. The contract carries an average annual cap hit of $2.8 million, half of what Islanders captain John Tavares makes per season. Okposo has the potential for a new deal at the end of the season somewhere in the $5 million-plus per season range.
When the season comes to an end, the Islanders will have six players who could become UFA’s, including alternate captain Frans Nielsen. The Islanders will also have to consider new contracts for restricted free agents Casey Cizikas, Ryan Strome, and Scott Mayfield. However, re-signing Nielsen, Cizikas, and Strome would take up a lot of the teams $18-million worth of free cap space.
Okposo would certainly get the Islanders something healthy in return if they are to let him go. If they do, they are immediately looking at losing a major part of their offense. Okposo is definitely worth keeping an eye on, especially with the postseason underway.
