The Montreal Canadiens acquired defenseman Brent Sopel in a deal that also brought Nigel Dawes into the Habs organization in exchange for prospect forward Ben Maxwell and Montreal's 2011 fourth-round pick.
Major? Blockbuster? Not really.
But this deal does make the Habs a legit Cup contender.
The Canadiens have been dealing with substantial injuries on their blue line all year and have been trying to find the right player to be more than a band-aid on special teams for a couple months. When they added James Wisniewski earlier in the season, they hoped he could fill a few roles.
He's been a nice addition, but not what they had hoped.
In Sopel, the Habs get someone that fits their shut-down mold much better.
Sopel isn't going to skate with the speed-racing forwards in the East. And he isn't going to score 20 goals in March. But he is going to provide great leadership in the locker room and add a dependable body on the Habs penalty kill.
So far this year, Sopel is among the league leaders, averaging 3:21 of short-handed ice time per game (ranks 21st in the NHL). He also ranks 10th in the NHL with 1 ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by TAB BAMFORD
Montreal Canadiens: Brent Sopel Makes Them a Legit Stanley Cup Contender
February 24th, 2011 by TAB BAMFORD Leave a reply »
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