Kyle Okposo named new Sabres team captain

The Sabres did not have a captain last season. Okposo and Zemgus Girgensons served as the club’s only full-time alternate captains after Jack Eichel was stripped of the captaincy and subsequently traded to the Vegas Golden Knights. Eichel previously wore the “C” for Buffalo from 2018-21.

Okposo originally signed a seven-year, $42M contract with the Sabres as an unrestricted free agent way back in 2016. He surpassed 40 points in both of his first two seasons in Buffalo but didn’t do so again until this past year.

Girgensons and Rasmus Dahlin will serve as alternate captains under Dahlin this season. Okposo is set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer, but it’s hard to imagine the St. Paul, MN product testing the open market. Dylan Cozens described him on Saturday as the “life of the Sabres.”

“It’s left a really special place in my heart where I want this place to succeed,” Okposo said in Saturday’s captaincy announcement. “I want the Sabres to succeed. I know how difficult it’s been at times for sports fans in this city and for the people in this city because so much of life is connected to the Bills and the Sabres. And I feel that every day, especially when I’m here in the summer and even in the winters.”

In 909 career NHL games with the New York Islanders and Sabres over parts of 15 regular seasons, Okposo has scored 219 goals and 564 points. He’s added seven goals and 15 points in 24 career playoff contests (all with the Islanders).