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Kyle Okposo was named captain of the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday.
The 34-year-old forward is entering the final season of the seven-year, $42 million contract ($6 million average annual value) he signed with the Sabres on July 1, 2016. He had 45 points (21 goals, 24 assists) in 74 games last season.
Buffalo did not have a captain after center Jack Eichel was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights on Nov. 4, 2021. The Sabres finished fifth in the Atlantic Division (32-39-11) and have not qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for 11 consecutive seasons.
"I'm not going to change anything," Okposo said Monday. "Kind of filled that role a little bit last year, I believe. I wasn't trying to or anything. It was just kind of what happened. So, I'm just going to continue to be myself. And that's one thing, too. If you start to act a different way or do things differently, guys see through that. You can't fool anybody. Authenticity is definitely No. 1 on the list.
Tweet from @BuffaloSabres: Check these guys out 🤩@rasmusdahlin00 | @bookerT2116 | @zemgus94 pic.twitter.com/hEkGjKYTae
Defenseman Rasmus Dahlin , the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, and forward Zemgus Girgensons will serve as alternate captains.
"I think Kyle is someone that has so much respect within our locker room, within our organization, within the community, within the hockey world, you know," general manager Kevyn Adams said MOnday. "That's just his reputation. And as good of a player as he's been in his career, he's a better person, and I just think he's clearly the leader. Just the way he handles himself every day, on and off the ice, has been a great example for our young guys."
Selected by the New York Islanders in the first round (No. 7) of the 2006 NHL Draft, Okposo has 564 points (219 goals, 345 assists) in 909 regular-season games with the Sabres and Islanders, and 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) in 24 playoff games.
Six teams are without a captain: the Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes, Calgary Flames, Philadelphia Flyers, Seattle Kraken and Winnipeg Jets. The Jets announced Sept. 16 that they would enter the season without a captain, a role which was held by forward Blake Wheeler for the past six seasons.
NHL.com independent correspondent Heather Engel contributed to this report
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