2 players for the Canucks to buy and one prospect to sell at the trade deadline
Player to buy: Kyle Okposo
Kyle Okposo is almost an afterthought in this league, but talk about someone who could bring an incredible layer of leadership to the Canucks organization. Having served as the Buffalo Sabres captain over the past two seasons and an alternate captain before that, Okposo’s presence in the locker room would be huge for an already ultra-talented Canucks team.
Unlike Duhaime, Okposo can still score, with 22 points and 12 goals in 59 games this year. He can also build chemistry with linemates quickly, something we saw in Buffalo when he started playing alongside Peyton Krebs and Zemgus Girgensons, and they don’t make many mistakes in the defensive zone.
Especially Okposo, as the Sabres save percentage at even strength and 5-on-5 is a respective 92.7 and 93.4 when he’s taking shooting lanes away from opponents. And while he doesn’t play special teams often, Okposo makes for a great insurance policy on the man advantage or shorthanded if injuries strike, and he can still put up an admirable effort in both situations.
Like Duhaime, Okposo wouldn’t cost much to bring to Vancouver, considering his age and status as a fourth-liner. But he plays a solid offensive game, and defensively, he’s still one of the better forwards in hockey.
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(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference as of March 3rd)