Okposo returns from shoulder injury Thursday

If these past four months have given Islanders forward Kyle Okposo a glimpse of hockey retirement, he doesn't want any part of it.

"I'd be pretty bored," he said.

So when he was informed on Sunday that he would play his first game of the NHL season Thursday night, after four months of rehabilitating a surgically repaired right shoulder, Okposo acknowledged being "pretty happy; big smile for me here all week."

Islanders coach Jack Capuano confirmed after yesterday's practice that Okposo would play against the Washington Capitals at Nassau Coliseum Thursday night, 45 games into the season. Okposo's ice time will be monitored carefully, "but we would not play him unless he was ready to go," Capuano said. "He's been working very hard. We will see how the game goes, but I'm sure he'll see some power-play time."

During the last two full seasons, the 22-year-old Okposo had developed into one of the team's most versatile players, working on both the power play and penalty-killing units. The Islanders' top draft choice in 2006, Okposo scored 18 goals in 65 games in 2008-09 and 19 in 80 games last season and brought both energy and grit.

During yesterday's drills, Okposo skated on a line with Michael Grabner and Frans Nielsen, who was back on the ice after missing seven games with a groin strain. Nielsen's availability against Washington, Capuano said, is uncertain.

Okposo's absence was the longest "of my whole life," far more than the handful of games he missed because of a wrist injury his rookie season. "I missed being here with the guys," he said. "The game, before the game, going to war out there.''

Since suffering the shoulder injury during the team's training camp, followed by the Sept. 28 surgery, Okposo said he has been "bored a lot. I watched a lot of hockey. Just tried to do anything I could to pass the time.

"You don't want to know" the details of getting himself ready to play again, he said. "Just a lot of strengthening work; you've got to get your range of motion back first, and that takes about a month, and everything from there on out is strengthening. There's a lot of shoulder exercises I didn't know existed."

Capuano said he did "not want expectations to be too high. It's a long wait for Kyle so, sure, he's going to have some fun out there. Mentally, that's the toughest part about being injured."

For now, Okposo said, "Everything feels good. Waiting a long time for this, and I'm ready to go."