Well, today is the day. Kyle Okposo will make his NHL debut tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs. According to the team’s official website, Okposo will be playing with Blake Comeau and Richard Park. Talk about a high energy line in the making. As long as he doesn’t get seriously hurt, this call-up will only be a positive experience for the 19-year old and will be one of the only positive things fans can take from this season.
However, Okposo’s arrival can also help the Islanders in other ways. Hopefully, it will start to change Ted Nolan’s philosophy on playing veterans over inexperienced youngsters. While Blake Comeau and Sean Bergenheim have been getting more and more playing time as the season has gone on, primarily in part to injuries, Jeff Tambellini, who many would say is the most talented of the three, hasn’t been given a real opportunity to showcase his talent. If Okposo is effective in the nine games he plays with the Isles, maybe Nolan will be more inclined to give the rest of the youngsters more playing time.
Nonetheless, as an Islander fan, you have to be excited to see the future on the ice tomorrow. This has the possibility of changing the team for the better and getting them on the right track for the future. This season may be lost, but fans now have the opportunity to see what the future can hold for the team. And unlike what many people think, I don’t feel that this is an attempt on the organization’s part to make a last ditch effort to sell tickets. Okposo was nearly a point a game player in college and the AHL. Regardless of what anyone thinks, he’s ready to play in the NHL. Sure, having more seasoning in the AHL would be beneficial for him, but when was the last time the Islanders gave a youngster a real shot this early? How long were players like Robert Nilsson, Ryan O’Marra, Bruno Gervais and Bergenheim in the minors before they were given a chance? How many recent Islander picks were even given chances?
My thoughts exactly. This team needs to attempt to start developing their young talent now the same way the Blackhawks and Penguins are right now. This is the way you build a successful team now. It’s time the Islanders admitted they’ve made mistakes overpaying players with name recognition to come here and focus on playing their youngsters.
Giving Okposo, their most promising prospect, an honest shot at showing what he is capable of is a great push in the right direction.
Posted under Pregame Musings
This post was written by Patrick Hickey, Jr. on March 18, 2008
Exactly right! We’ve got to get out of this going-nowhere cycle of overpaying second and third-tier free agents to come in here and play to the mediocre level that made them second and third-tier players to begin with. As I’ve said numerous times on this site, and others, I am tired of this organization thinking that it’s okay to compete for the eighth seed every year. It’s time for a major change in the philosophy of the organization and, hopefully, it starts tonight.
Whenever I think about where this team is now, I go back to the 1999 draft, when the Islanders had 4 first round picks. Imagine how much better this team would be now if even 2 of those guys had been allowed to develop and contribute to the team’s success. Instead, the incredible bounty was squandered. Here’s to Kyle! This is hopefully gthe start of a long, mutually beneficial relationship.