Panthers' Okposo set for first playoff game in eight years
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Acquired by the Florida Panthers ahead of the trade deadline, former Buffalo Sabres captain Kyle Okposo is set to play in his first playoff game since 2016 on Thursday.
Panthers head coach Paul Maurice announced that Okposo will suit up in Game 3 against the Tampa Bay Lighting with Ryan Lomberg sidelined due to illness.
The 36-year-old forward last played in the postseason with the New York Islanders in 2016, posting two goals and eight points in 11 games. He's reached the playoffs in three of his 17 career NHL seasons, never advancing past the first round.
Okposo went without a point in six games after joining the Panthers in March. He had 12 goals and 22 points in 61 games with the Sabres.
Florida acquired Okposo for prospect Calle Sjalin and a seventh-round pick, which will elevate to a fifth-rounder if Florida wins the Stanley Cup.
Okposo, a veteran of 1,051 games, has 242 goals and 614 points over his career with the Islanders, Sabres and Panthers. He was selected seventh overall by the Islanders in the 2006 draft.