'08-'09 Season Review: Aaron Johnson and Brent Sopel

by SamFels on Jun 14, 2009 4:45 PM CDT

Aaron Johnson

#23 / Defenseman / Chicago Blackhawks

Height: 6-1

Weight: 211

Born: Apr 30, 1983

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2008 - Aaron Johnson	38	3	5	8	19	33	0	0	1	0	27	11.1

Brent Sopel

#5 / Defenseman / Chicago Blackhawks

Height: 6-1

Weight: 211

Born: Jan 07, 1977

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2008 - Brent Sopel	23	1	1	2	-4	8	0	0	1	0	15	6.7

The Good: Figured we'd might as well do these two together, as they barely played a season combined. So, the good for Sopel.....um.....uh....hang on, I'll get this. Oh right, there wasn't any. From the opening bell Sopel was a disaster, the coup-de-grace being getting pick-pocketed by the corpse of Jeremy Roenick during the Hawks 6-5 loss to them in November. He couldn't move, he couldn't pass, he couldn't do anything. So good times, then. Eventually, the Hawks came by and informed Catfish that he was hurt, and would he please go sit in a corner the rest of the season. Thankfully, he obliged. Oh, wait, this was supposed to be the good part.

Johnson is another story. Leaping into the lineup when Sopel was dismissed, Johnson turned into a shockingly competent defenseman. He was the league leader in +/- in November, as well as Behind The Net. Then Mike Grier decided to leave AJ's shoulder in the corner with the rest of him somewhere else. Johnson couldn't get back into the lineup after that, except for a brief flash in March when he looked quite physical and determined to stick around. Didn't work though.

The Bad: For Sopel, see above.

Johnson, after his initial return from injury, was the journeyman d-man he always was, allowing Walker to supplant him firmly in the lineup. But other than that, we can't find too much to complain about from a #7 or 8 blueliner.

Playoff Beard Strength: Who would know?

Nicknames and Photoshops: Well, I don't think I can print the things Sopel was called without getting reprimanded. Johnson sometimes went by AJ.

The Grade: We'll only ask you about Johnson's season, I think I know what you all would say for Sopel.

Poll

Grade Aaron Johnson's season

A

26 votes

B

81 votes

C

76 votes

D

17 votes

F

3 votes

203 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

Regular season – B
Post season – um…

by Crease Monkey on Jun 14, 2009 5:23 PM CDT reply actions

Would love a full season of Johnson

That +19 and his ballsy play showed me a lot in the early.Qville too cause he played him forwad 1 game.Hope he gets healthy again.Sopel went from good stay at home dman to one of the most booed Hawks at home deservedly so.Maybe his health approved when he was good 2 seasons ago a perfect partner for Soupy.

by idiot man on Jun 14, 2009 7:19 PM CDT reply actions

Sopel and Johnson

Keep Johnson; try to trade Sopel (I’d be happy with getting a 7th round pick for him) and if that isn’t possible send him to Rockford.

Johnson would have played more than the slow footed putz Walker if Q didn’t have a man crush on Walker.

by massey1984 on Jun 14, 2009 8:03 PM CDT reply actions

Nah...

It’s those pictures that Walker has. Johnson definitely put up some great numbers and deserves at least a B. All he needs to do now is find those pictures that Wiggum has and let Q know that he burned them.

SHOOOOOOOT IT!!!! Anon

by burpchelischili on Jun 15, 2009 4:04 AM CDT up reply actions

I figured if a post was going to get slathered in sarcasm, then this one, not Wiz’s, would get the nod.

On another note: Aaron Johnson gets 13 ‘A’ votes (outta 82 voters) … only 5 fewer than Barker (where 210 people voted). I’m just voting ‘A’ for everyone I like.

by ChicoMaki on Jun 15, 2009 7:22 AM CDT reply actions