If Okposo does play on Tuesday, expect to see him in a new role playing on the right wing with Evander Kane and Jack Eichel. That was the case at practice on Sunday, when he and Sam Reinhart swapped lines with Reinhart moving alongside William Carrier and Ryan O'Reilly.
While Reinhart has plenty of experience playing with O'Reilly from last season, the combination of Okposo and Eichel is relatively new. They've played on the same power-play unit since Eichel returned from injury on Nov. 29, but have not yet been linemates. Still, Eichel watched Okposo for 21 games while he nursed his high-ankle sprain and that alone was enough to learn about his new teammate's skill set.
"Obviously when I was hurt I got to watch him a lot and learned a lot about how he plays," Eichel said. "I think he's probably one of the most underrated players in our league, just how good he is with the puck, without the puck, in all areas of the game. He's strong on it, he's very skilled, and he can make passes."
There's little question that, to this point, the Sabres have gotten what they paid for when they signed Okposo to a seven-year deal on the first day of free agency in July. Okposo leads the Sabres with nine goals and 18 points through 26 games.
Kane talked about playing basketball with Okposo recently and said one of the things he's learned about his new teammate is how much of a "well-rounded" athlete Okposo is. It makes sense; much like a basketball player uses his body to box out for rebounds, Okposo uses his body to maintain possession while engaging with defenders along the boards and low in the offensive zone.
"You know what, he was one of the better players obviously on the Islanders and I've played against him for a lot of years," Kane said. "Really he's kind of the same players he's always been. He has great puck skills, he works hard, he's strong on the puck and he's got a great shot obviously and likes to use it."
In the dressing room, meanwhile, Okposo is already a respected leader on a young team. When O'Reilly and fellow alternate captain Josh Gorges have missed games this season, it's been Okposo who's filled in and worn an "A."
"He's a leader," Eichel said. "He's played a lot of hockey in the league and he's been a part of a lot of different teams so he brings good experience as a veteran. He's somebody who someone like myself, who's still young, can learn a lot from."
