The Florida Panthers have acquired Kyle Okposo from the Buffalo Sabres in return for defenceman Calle Sjalin and a conditional 2024 seventh-round pick, which can upgrade to a 2024 fifth-round pick if Florida wins the Stanley Cup.
The Panthers continue to bolster their winger depth with Okposo, and the Sabres get a solid return for their old captain.
Panthers Gearing up for Another Stanley Cup Run
The Panthers, who are first in the Atlantic Division with 90 points, want to prove that last season’s playoff push to the Stanley Cup wasn’t a one-off thing. They have already made an excellent trade for Vladimir Tarasenko and have now added excellent veteran depth winger in Okposo who will bring what the Panthers like to play with: grit and heart. At 35 years old with 12 goals and 10 assists for 22 points on the season, Okposo is heading to a team with elite forward depth and will get the chance to play with guys like Evan Rodrigues, Anton Lundell, and even Carter Verhaeghe if placed in the middle-six group. He played on the Sabres’ second power-play unit; even with all the standout talent in Florida, you could expect him to get some time on the second unit and try some new things out.
Okposo came with his full cap hit of $2.5 million, with this season being the last on his current deal before he becomes an unrestricted free agent. With $1.3 million left in cap space, the Panthers could still make some calls and make more moves, but they could be more extensive with draft capital if that plays into any trade factors. Florida has the fifth-best power play in the league, is 12th in goals for with 3.28 goals per game, and is first in shots per game at 34.0; it doesn’t seem those stats will be falling considering how their trade deadline is going.
Sabres Add More Pieces Into the Rebuild
Okposo was a big piece in the Sabres’ recent history as he was in his eighth season with the team and had 245 points with the franchise, but was streaky at times. By dealing their captain, they gained a pick that could be higher if he captures a Cup and a solid defensive prospect to add to the rebuild or use as another trade piece. It was reported that they made sure Okposo wanted to be traded somewhere where we wanted the best chances at winning and did the veteran justice with that trade.
Calle Sjalin is a six-foot-one defenceman who was drafted originally by the New York Rangers in the fifth round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft and is currently in the last year of his two-year deal signed with the Panthers. The 24 year old is currently playing with the Charlotte Checkers in the AHL and in 22 games, has zero goals and three assists.
This is the second trade the Sabres have made this trade deadline as they sent Casey Mittelstadt to the Colorado Avalanche for Bowen Byram. With just over $36 million in cap space, a plethora of picks, and ability to retain cap space, it’ll be interesting to see if the Sabres make any more moves to acquire more draft picks before the 3 p.m. EST deadline hits.