Okposo cleared to skate

September 26, 2009   ·   Derek Felix   ·   Jump to comments

The Islanders got some encouraging news yesterday. Right wing Kyle Okposo passed a baseline test following his mild concussion suffered at the hands of a devastating high hit from Calgary defenseman Dion Phaneuf last week.

According to Newsday’s Katie Strang, the 21 year-old Okposo resumed skating on his own Friday. The former 2006 seventh overall pick led the club with 18 goals including more than half (13) coming after Jan.17. His impressive finish displayed just how talented the University of Minnesota product is.

There’s little doubt how vital a cog he is for the Islanders’ future along with first overall pick John Tavares and second-year playmaking pivot Josh Bailey. If the organization has learned anything from Rick DiPietro, they will handle Okposo more carefully. In rebuild mode, there’s no reason for them to rush the kid back. Making sure he’s 100 percent is the way to go.

We love the talent he possesses and believe he’s a future power winger capable of 40 goals. Before the injury, we figured he’d be good for 30 this season. Now, who knows? As long as they are smart with Kyle, it will benefit the franchise moving forward.

Hopefully, we’ll see the kid with a bright future soon.