How good is this defenseman? Before you research on who he is, give an unbiased answer as to what this player would be worth.
1) Defenseman
2) 11th in league in defenseman scoring
3) Big and physical
4) Signed longterm for only 0.5 mils a year
5) Good +/- numbers at around 5
6) Logs only 21:37 of icetime per game (69th in league)
7) young
8) playoff points per game average of almost 0.5
9) disciplined
10) Solid defensively but prone to the occasional errors but has improved his game tremondously over the years
is he a #1 defenseman? is he a #2 defenseman? is he a #3 defenseman? is he a good defenseman? would you give up more than a 1st rounder for him? who is he?
Looking at their careers, is it fair to compare Sopel to McCabe of 2 years ago? Similar stats and I have a similar sense of their play. McCabe of course has finally taken a big step this year and Sopel has also to a lesser extent but he is 2 years younger and was not a high draft pick, thus not getting the best opportunities as McCabe got. Non Leaf and Canuck fan input please, and make sure you have seen them play 10 games this year at least. I sense haters.
Looking at their careers, is it fair to compare Sopel to McCabe of 2 years ago? Similar stats and I have a similar sense of their play. McCabe of course has finally taken a big step this year and Sopel has also to a lesser extent but he is 2 years younger and was not a high draft pick, thus not getting the best opportunities as McCabe got. Non Leaf and Canuck fan input please, and make sure you have seen them play 10 games this year at least. I sense haters.
mccabe is slow but more physical but even if everything was a draw, mccabe would still be better imo. mccabe is a good leader and he was chosen to be the islanders' captain in his sophomore year. speaks tons about his character
You forgot to mention freakish looking appearance. That hurts his rating.
come on, no love for the mullet?
i thought you had long hair too
sopel isn't that bad-looking. take joe millionaire except bigger rounder eyes, fatter lips, wider nose, smaller forehead and less masculinity. its still ok.... :p
I was calling for Sopel's head a few seasons ago, but with the absence of Jovo he has really taken charge and become the nucks #1 dman (ahead of Ohlund even.. )
Ya, he makes the occasional mistake..sometimes costly, but not as often as it used to occur..I think pretty much any team would love to have him in their d-corp.
I was calling for Sopel's head a few seasons ago, but with the absence of Jovo he has really taken charge and become the nucks #1 dman (ahead of Ohlund even.. )
Ya, he makes the occasional mistake..sometimes costly, but not as often as it used to occur..I think pretty much any team would love to have him in their d-corp.
Ohlund is still your best dman. How many goasl has he had in the last 6 games??? 5, 4? For a defensive dman? Sopel is playing above his head, but Ohlund is still the best for the Nucks.
Without a doubt, Ohlund has been better than Sopel all year long outside of small stretches in January and February.
McCabe is also better than Sopel, but the difference is quite small. Sopel is perhaps even better offensivly than McCabe is. The only reason Sopel isn't in the top 3 in points this year, I maintain, is that Sopel was on the #2 PP unit all this year until January. It wasn't until Jovo went down that he went back on the #1 PP unit.
Sopel is a #2 defenseman by the numbers, but I'm most comfortable having him as a #3.
As for Sopel being physical, he rarely throws big hits, but he actually is pretty good at tying up bigger players. The problem for Sopel I've found is that guys like Kariya can give him fits at times.
mccabe is slow but more physical but even if everything was a draw, mccabe would still be better imo. mccabe is a good leader and he was chosen to be the islanders' captain in his sophomore year. speaks tons about his character
I certainly wouldn't call Mccabe slow...he's a pretty decent skater.
No, just because his identity is hidden, he's still not a #1 or #2. And most certainly not worth a 1st rounder. #3 perhaps, but most comfortable as a #4 at this point.
At least that's just about how 80% of the boards saw things.
You could also say..."Look who Sopel plays against."
Regardless of whether Ohlund is his defensive partner they are still the pairing Crawford throws out against most of the leagues top units every single night.
You have to give the guy credit, even blatant Sopel-haters have gotta see a drastic improvement this season. And the best part is I don't think he's finished improving.
A defensive pairing who plays against top lines CAN'T be carried by one player. Defensive pairings require as much from Player A as it does from Player B.
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