Kyle Okposo saw plenty of familiar faces when he skated with the Islanders for the first time yesterday.
Thanks to all the injuries the team has suffered this season, there’s been a shuttle between the Coliseum and Bridgeport. So much so, that Ted Nolan hadn’t seen the team’s heralded 2006 draft pick very much.
“With our situation here, we just see who’s practicing every day because of all the injuries,” Nolan said. “It’s almost like we didn’t just call up Kyle, we called up his whole team.”
Which is one of the reasons the Islanders could make the move, since they have dropped five straight and now have little more than seeing what kind of prospect they have in the former University of Minnesota standout. He’ll play in his first game tonight (7:00, MSG+, WBBR) when the Isles host the surging Maple Leafs.
Nolan liked what he saw from the forward yesterday.
“Certain people have that instinct,” Nolan said after the team skated in Syosset. “He’s got good hockey sense.”
Still, he didn’t tear up the AHL, tallying eight goals and 16 assists in 29 games after bolting Minnesota in midseason, causing a rift between the school and the Islanders. Okposo didn’t apologize for his decision.