Sabres re-sign captain Kyle Okposo to new contract

Okposo was expected to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. The 35-year-old is entering his eighth season as a member of the Sabres since joining the club in 2016-17 after signing a seven-year, $42 million contract that saw a cap hit of $6 million. Okposo notched 11 goals and 17 assists for 28 points in 75 games this past season. Since joining the Sabres, he has notched 223 points in 455 games.

Okposo was initially drafted in the first-round (No. 7) of the 2006 NHL Draft by the New York Islanders after capturing the USHL’s Clark Cup with the Des Moines Buccaneers. Okposo was named the USHL Rookie of the Year and the Clark Cup MVP after tallying 16 points in 11 games. After being drafted, he made the leap to the NCAA, and following a two-year stint with the University of Minnesota, which saw Okposo win the NCAA (WCHA) Championship in 2006-07; he decided to go pro.

The St. Paul, Minnesota, product made his NHL debut in 2007-08, and in a short nine-game stint, he registered five points. He would spend the next eight years with the Islanders organization donning the “A” as an assistant captain for seven seasons. While with the Islanders, he registered 139 goals and 230 assists in 529 games. Throughout his 16-year career, he has recorded 592 points in 984 games.

With the Okposo deal now out of the way, the two most notable unrestricted free agents remaining on the Sabres’ contract books are Vinnie Hinostroza and Zemgus Girgensons.