Kyle Okposo in the playoffs

It was an emotional moment for the Buffalo Sabers when they traded former captain Kyle Okposo to the Florida Panthers last March. After the trade, Sabers general manager Kevyn Adams was emotional and called Okposo an incredible person and selfless to the organization.

Okposo now finds himself in the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in his career. It was also his first time playing in the playoffs since 2016 while with the New York Islanders.

For Okposo, the opportunity is not lost. A few weeks ago, in an interview with NHL.com, he commented on what he thought about his playoff chances. “This is 100 percent the best opportunity I’ve had,” Okposo said.

He also said he has watched the playoffs quite religiously for the past 25-30 years and loves playoff hockey. Unfortunately for the former Sabers captain, Kyle never had a chance to win.

Many other former Sabers are currently on the Panthers roster joining Okposo. Sam Reinhart, Brandon Montour, Evan Rodrigues and Dmitri Kulikov are all currently competing for a chance to reach the Stanley Cup Final. If they advance and win the Cup, they will join three members of last season’s Las Vegas Golden Knights who won the title after playing with Buffalo.

For Okposo thus far in the Panthers’ playoff run, he has contributed two assists, one in each round. During the regular season, he had less ice time than with the Sabres, but was hired by Florida for more than his on-ice abilities.

In the same interview with NHL.com, Evan Rodrigues commented on Okposo’s leadership. “It’s a testament to his leadership. It’s a testament to his will to win. He’ll do whatever you need him to do, and I think he’s playing amazing.”

During his time in Buffalo, Okposo wrote numerous letters to the Sabers faithful about the work that needed to be done to achieve their goals. Now, with a different team, it looks like he’s getting there. The Panthers will begin their Eastern Conference final against the New York Rangers on Friday, May 24.