Kyle Okposo is headed for Minneapolis this fall. Ryan O'Marra hopes he's staying put on Long Island. Both think their future team is headed for better times.
The New York Islanders got a look at their two most recent No. 1 draft picks last week at the team's development camp in Syosset, N.Y. Among the 30 or so players at camp were O'Marra, the Isles' first pick (15th overall) in 2005 and Okposo, their top choice (No. 7 overall) last month.
Okposo, a power forward who was the rookie of the year in the United States Hockey League after scoring 27 goals and 58 points in 50 games for Des Moines, was the Isles' first draft pick in 2006. O'Marra, a center, had 27 goals and 77 points with Erie of the OHL, then scored four goals in eight games with the AHL's Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
Okposo has already committed to the University of Minnesota for this fall and says he's not sure when he'll turn pro. O'Marra, who signed his first pro contract in April, figures to be ticketed for a season at Bridgeport -- but he has bigger plans.
"I have the same mindset as last year," says the gregarious O'Marra, who told reporters after he was drafted last July that he hoped to make the Islanders in 2005-06. "It's probably a more intense mindset in that regard this time. Whether it's a realistic goal or not, I don't know. Going into training camp, you have to have the mentality that you're going to turn some heads. My goal going into the main camp is to impress enough that I get at least a sniff."
O'Marra will have to impress a new coach this year -- Ted Nolan, who was hired in June. Former Isles legends Bryan Trottier and Pat LaFontaine will also be around to offer assistance.
"It's obviously different than last year," O'Marra says of the new management. "There are different people to impress. In the long run, it's great for the organization to bring in guys like Pat LaFontaine and Bryan Trottier -- guys from the glory years. Going forward, this team has a lot of great things coming, and I'm excited to be a potential part of it."
Okposo is excited, too, after his first trip to Long Island -- although he says he came to the draft in Vancouver on June 24 not expecting to be an Islander.
"I was a little surprised when they picked me," says the six-foot, 195-pounder. "I hadn't had much contact with them before the draft. But it was a thrill to be picked. I grew up watching the draft. It's not really a dream because I haven't made it or anything. I know that I still have to improve, but it was a happy time for me and my family."
The Isles' camp was about more than on-ice development. The players had sessions with nutritionists and financial advisers, and took part in team-building exercises like paintball and trips to baseball games.
O'Marra feels the "getting to know you" aspect of the camp was just as important as the on-ice work.
"Stuff like this helps in team building," he says. "There's a lot of camaraderie here right off the bat. We have a great group of guys and a great organization, and I'm really excited about moving forward. There's a lot of laughs out here. It's intense but still laid back. There's no big hits -- it's a skill display and an evaluation for the new management to see some of the guys who've been in the system prior to them getting here."
While O'Marra's goal is to convince Nolan that he should be spending his season on Long Island instead of Bridgeport, Okposo is happy to be heading for Minnesota, where he'll join No. 1 overall pick Erik Johnson as newcomers on a team that already includes No. 5 overall choice Phil Kessel. For now, he's content to be playing for an NCAA championship rather than a Stanley Cup.
"They haven't really talked to me," he says of the Isles' future plans for him. "For now, I want to see how things go and improve every day. I want to model myself after Peter Forsberg, but that's pretty tough to do. He's a threat every time he goes out on the ice. I love the way he plays."
O'Marra doesn't list a role model, but describes his strengths as "a two-way player and a faceoff man who sees the ice well and finishes my checks" -- a description that would have fit Trottier back in the Isles' dynasty days.
And while he may or may not be ready for the big time this fall, he knows that as a first-round selection, a lot is going to be expected of him. He can hardly wait.
"There's definitely pressure being a first-round draft pick," he says. "But with pressure comes great opportunity. The only pressure is the pressure you put on yourself. I think it's good to have pressure. If you don't have pressure, that means there's not much expected of you."
