Okposo Gone

[DEADhead]

i like the idea yakfisher about paying back the scholarship. Only seems fair.

[IFallsRon]

Eight players who have dressed for a game in Bridgeport this season are on the Islanders' current roster. But not the one on whom Islanders fans are pinning their hopes for the future.

That's about to change. No official announcement has been made, but all indications suggest Kyle Okposo, the seventh overall pick in the 2006 draft, likely will make his Islanders debut against Toronto Tuesday night at Nassau Coliseum.

Okposo left the University of Minnesota in January to sign a three-year entry level deal with the Isles. If he plays 10 NHL games, that deal begins this season. If he plays nine or less, next season is considered the first year of his contract. After the Isles' game Saturday night in Montreal, they will have only nine games left on the schedule, and since they are 13th in the Eastern Conference playoff race, it makes sense to evaluate Okposo against NHL competition to aid planning for next season.

Coach Ted Nolan said it's up to general manager Garth Snow to make the decision, but his smile said it all when asked if he would like to see Okposo come up. "Definitely," Nolan said. "Why not? But he's playing pretty well down there, and maybe a good finish down there [would be best]. He could just ride it out and try to get that team in the playoffs and give him a little taste. But here, it would also be good."

Golden Gophers coach Don Lucia claimed the Islanders pressured Okposo to go pro at the time of his signing. Snow fired back angrily, saying the 6-foot-1, 203-pound right wing could get better coaching and speed his development in the Isles' organization.

It was well-known in Minneapolis that Okposo was unhappy playing for Lucia and was languishing. But in 27 games with Bridgeport, Okposo is off to a solid start with eight goals and 15 assists for 23 points. He might not be the finisher the Islanders need at this point, but his playmaking abilities have been impressive and he requires a lot of defensive attention.

Snow brushed off any suggestion the Islanders might be rushing Okposo or putting him into a situation that could harm the self-confidence of a player who doesn't turn 20 until April 18.

"It would be foolish to think we're rushing him in any way," Snow said. "He's been one of the best forwards in Bridgeport, averaging just under a point a game.

"He's earned a chance to put on an Islanders uniform and play at the NHL level. At the end of the day, it will be a good opportunity for him to compete. In no way are we rushing him. He's proven he's capable of playing in the NHL."

When his nine-game NHL stint is over, Okposo still can return to Bridgeport in time for the last five or six regular-season games to help the Sound Tigers compete for an AHL playoff berth. In the meantime, Islanders fans can get a first-hand glimpse of their future in the final five home games.

[NAPAFISH]

Garth Snow is a D-Bag

[yakfisher]

HUGE D-BAG!!!

[IFallsRon]

The wait is over. Kyle Okposo, the most anticipated prospect drafted by the Islanders since Rick DiPietro, has been called up from Bridgeport to make his NHL debut against Toronto Tuesday night at the Coliseum.

Okposo will learn what role Islanders coach Ted Nolan has in mind for him when he practices with the team Monday at Iceworks in Syosset. Still a month shy of his 20th birthday on April 16, the right wing has shown since leaving the University of Minnesota in January that he's quite capable of handling the demands of the pro game.

"I didn't know when the call would come," Okposo said in a statement released Sunday by the team, "but now that it has, the excitement is off the charts. I just want to have a good practice and then I'll start thinking about playing a big game against the Maple Leafs in front of our fans. It's up to me to make the most of the opportunity."

In 29 games with the Sound Tigers, Okposo has eight goals and 16 assists for 24 points. When he steps into the Islanders' lineup, it should have a familiar look. With so many veterans out with injuries, Okposo will be surrounded by several players he knows from Bridgeport.

Mention Okposo's name to his former Sound Tigers teammates and their first reaction is a smile. "Okie is awesome," defenseman Matt Spiller said. "He's going to be quite the player. He's strong on the puck and he's smart. He just moves the puck well and he's got a great shot. He's got a great personality and he's just a great kid."

The early returns on Okposo suggest he might be a better playmaker than he is a finisher, and Spiller agreed he has unusual passing skills. "For sure, he can make those passes you think some guys can't make," Spiller said. "It's pretty fun watching him."

Current fourth-line center Ben Walter got a chance to play with Okposo a little bit. In his opinion, Okposo has as much potential in the goal-scoring department.

"If he's one-on-one with a guy, he's going to try and make a move to beat him, and he can put the puck in the net," Walter said. "He definitely knows how to score. I'd say he's a bit of both, but he definitely loves to score goals."

For a team that has had trouble finding the net and that is coming off its sixth shutout loss of the season, any offensive boost is welcome.

During his freshman season at Minnesota, Okposo made a move viewed widely on youtube.com in which he put his stick back between his legs and flicked the puck from behind himself into the net as he cruised past the surprised goaltender.

He won't get away with that in the NHL, but it shows Okposo has the kind of creativity that has been missing from the Islanders' attack. Walter is confident it won't take Okposo long to fit at the NHL level.

"He's such a skilled player," Walter said. "He loves to play the game. Every day in practice, he's working hard. For a young kid, he's really strong on the puck. When he gets it down low, he's hard to bump off it. He's going to be a great player for a lot of years, I'm sure."

[jwhjr]

It looks like he picked up his first couple of points last night with a goal and an assist.

[Hester]

Yeah, it was a very nice goal. He had lost his helmet early in the shift, then old wild forward Richard Park fed it to him in the slot and he one timmed it in the upper corner. Very nice.

You can watch it on Yahoo.

Hester

[NAPAFISH]

No thanks, hope he gets crushed by Burns or Koivu next time they play the Wild