Kopitar or Brule?

[gars59]

Josef Boumedienne was great in ahl and for a defenseman he have 16 point in 47 game in nhl , not bad !!!

 

[kingpest19]

Well...

Nicklas Bergfors 65gp 17g 23a 40p
Anze Kopitar 47gp 8g 12a 20p


and, on the same team as Kopitar:

Josef Boumedienne 26gp 1g 19a 20p

Heres an idea. Compare their stats at the same age in the same league on the same team.

Bergfors 04-05 SEL 25 1g 0a 1p 18 yrs old.
Kopitar 05-06 SEL 47 g 8g 12a 20 pts 18 yrs old.

Both played for Sodertalje. Now how does that look? If your going to compare compare similar things , not things that arent a fair comparison.

 

[LeMAD]

Heres an idea. Compare their stats at the same age in the same league on the same team.

Bergfors 04-05 SEL 25 1g 0a 1p 18 yrs old.
Kopitar 05-06 SEL 47 g 8g 12a 20 pts 18 yrs old.

Both played for Sodertalje. Now how does that look? If your going to compare compare similar things , not things that arent a fair comparison.

Here's an idea, how about comparing both players at the same age, since the're both 18 now...

So last year, at 17 and on the same team:

Anze Kopitar.................................. 5gp 0g 0p 0pts
Nicklas Bergfors.............................. 25gp 1g 0p 1pts


Bergfors has more points, therefore i win the argument

 

[Tadite]

Here's an idea, how about comparing both players at the same age, since the're both 18 now...

So last year, at 17 and on the same team:

Anze Kopitar.................................. 5gp 0g 0p 0pts
Nicklas Bergfors.............................. 25gp 1g 0p 1pts


Bergfors has more points, therefore i win the argument

Well how about we wait another year and see what Brule can do playing in a adult Pro league for more then 7 games....

Its all fine and dandy to get 80 pts against kids lets see what happens when the games are important. Although I have to say that doesn't seem like all that much down in the juniors. I thought everyone got 100.


Either way both guys should be fine....

 

[LeMAD]

Brule might have been the best player in the AHL this year, at 18. That doesn't mean he'll be a franchsie player in the NHL, but it does mean he might have really good chances. As for Kopitar, i think he was taken too high, but of course it's way too soon to be sure, for both of them...

 

[Lars]

Brule might have been the best player in the AHL this year, at 18. That doesn't mean he'll be a franchsie player in the NHL, but it does mean he might have really good chances. As for Kopitar, i think he was taken too high, but of course it's way too soon to be sure, for both of them...

For starters, he played in the WHL not the AHL.

 

[ukyo]

Kings' fan here, and I'll take Brule by [less than "a fair margin" but more than "close"]. It is hard to say because Kopitar hasn't played on a particularly strong team yet. I'd say he is more of a "smart" cerebral player that relies more on making calm and calculated plays whereas Brule is more of an in-your-face player with a ton of heart and passion. From what I've seen from Brule the only thing holding him back from being a Crosby/Ovechkin caliber player is injury risk (some have mentioned issues about his attitude and selfishness and penchant for stupid penalties but not in the games I saw). What makes it almost close for me are the injury concerns for Brule and Kopitar's size.

For the Kings fans that haven't seen Brule play, let's put it this way: He's just like Deadmarsh, but with more skill, vision, and better hands. If that wasn't enough, he's got a better shot than Tambellini. Salivate away.

 

[monster_bertuzzi]

For starters, he played in the WHL not the AHL.

I think he means Bergfors.

 

[AgentNaslund*]

Gilbert Brule. Nothing against Kopitar, we all know hes gonna be an effecitive offensive player. Brule, is a complete package, with toughness. 13 points in the 4 game sweet in the WHL finals, easily the best player in the CHL right now, cant ask for anything more out of him, the only thing he has to do, is get stronger for the NHL.

Gilbert Brule.

 

[monster_bertuzzi]

Brule is more physical, but Kopitar is stronger on the puck, bigger, and is a better stickhandler.

Weren't you at that game where he scored 6 points? He's a sick stick-handler as well.

 

[LeMAD]

For starters, he played in the WHL not the AHL.

Sorry, i meant CHL....

 

[surixon]

Weren't you at that game where he scored 6 points? He's a sick stick-handler as well.

Ya I was gonna coment on this as well, Kopitar has to be one hell of a stickhandler to be better then Brule. Brule is really starting to remind me of a hybrid between Ovehkein and Kovalchuk with Peca's defensive game. He looks identical to Kovalchuk on the powerplay waiting in the high slot to unleash that blistering slap shot ala kovalchuk. He is also looks explosive on the rush ala Oveichkein sp. Brule once he fills out his frame is gonna be a real special player. Kopitar looks like he will also be an exceptional player more in the Danny Heatly mold methinks. But gotta go with Brule on this one.

 

[Peter James Bond]

Ya I was gonna coment on this as well, Kopitar has to be one hell of a stickhandler to be better then Brule. Brule is really starting to remind me of a hybrid between Ovehkein and Kovalchuk with Peca's defensive game. He looks identical to Kovalchuk on the powerplay waiting in the high slot to unleash that blistering slap shot ala kovalchuk. He is also looks explosive on the rush ala Oveichkein sp. Brule once he fills out his frame is gonna be a real special player. Kopitar looks like he will also be an exceptional player more in the Danny Heatly mold methinks. But gotta go with Brule on this one.

Kopitar is one helluva stickhandler and protects the puck like Sundin in his prime:

"The Kopitar show continued minutes later when he seemingly had the puck on a string during a long shift. Kopitar used his reach to protect the puck and on a delayed penalty, he set up a home in Gretzky's office and fed a puck to Dejan Kontrec, who fired the puck in over Muzzatti's shoulder from a poor angle"

http://live82.ihwc.net/english/article/recaps/index.ihwc?&artId=2388

 

[ukyo]

Ya I was gonna coment on this as well, Kopitar has to be one hell of a stickhandler to be better then Brule. Brule is really starting to remind me of a hybrid between Ovehkein and Kovalchuk with Peca's defensive game. He looks identical to Kovalchuk on the powerplay waiting in the high slot to unleash that blistering slap shot ala kovalchuk. He is also looks explosive on the rush ala Oveichkein sp. Brule once he fills out his frame is gonna be a real special player. Kopitar looks like he will also be an exceptional player more in the Danny Heatly mold methinks. But gotta go with Brule on this one.

Meh, I don't know that it is a really useful idea to compare stickhandling ability between Brule and Kopitar. Neither of them are on the level of say Tim Connolly (who is just on another plane), but both are better than "good enough."

In Kopitar's case, it's not so much stickhandling as it is great puck possession abilities. It seems like he has the puck on a string because when you watch him play in traffic and along the boards you expect the defense to eventually take it away from him but he somehow comes out with it.

For Brule I don't think I've ever seen him really need to display great stickhandling. I've seen him blow by guys but that is a combination of speed and skating agility. With the way he skates and shoots he only needs to be better than average.

 

[Habsfan 32]

Brule for me. I was hoping Montreal would draft either one of Brule or Kopitar last year at the draft.

 

[Americans]

Heres an idea. Compare their stats at the same age in the same league on the same team.

Bergfors 04-05 SEL 25 1g 0a 1p 18 yrs old.
Kopitar 05-06 SEL 47 g 8g 12a 20 pts 18 yrs old.

Both played for Sodertalje. Now how does that look? If your going to compare compare similar things , not things that arent a fair comparison.

Bergfors and Kopitar = Both born 1987. Bergfors was only 17 years old 04-05

 

[kingpest19]

My mistake thought Bergfors was a year older.

 

[Puckhead]

Kopitar also projects to be a superstar IMO. When is Brule expected to be in the NHL?? Will he be on the CBJ next season?? I think Kopitar will surprise alot of ppl next season.

I think the real question is why do people think so highly of Kopitar? I am not suggesting he won't be a great NHLer, but what do you base that on? Other than the fact that the Kings have hailed this kid as the next great, nobody knows very much about him. He has been impressive in international play, but he is expected to not only make the Kings next season, but they are counting on him to make an immediate impact. That seems like a lot of pressure for a player who is not yet familiar with the NA game.

Brule is a much safer pick. He has dominated the WHL, and therefore has nothing left to prove there, so he will be on the Jackets next season. What makes him a more general consensus NHLer, is the fact that he will most likely be centering the 1st line with Nash on his wing. I think Columbus will be a force in the coming years, and Brule and Nash will fast become 2/3 of the most dynamic lines in the league. Not to mention that Zherdev guy, who would look great on that line, but they can't afford to put all their eggs in one basket.

Basically I think that both are incredibly talented players, and both will be impact NHLers, but my pick is Brule based on what we can see, as opposed to what we hear he can do, which I feel is more the case with Kopitar.

 

[StianM]

I think the real question is why do people think so highly of Kopitar? I am not suggesting he won't be a great NHLer, but what do you base that on? Other than the fact that the Kings have hailed this kid as the next great, nobody knows very much about him. He has been impressive in international play, but he is expected to not only make the Kings next season, but they are counting on him to make an immediate impact. That seems like a lot of pressure for a player who is not yet familiar with the NA game.

The only ones talking about Kopitar maybe making the Kings next season are fans... The Kings organinization haven't said anything about him at all!

 

[David A. Rainer]

Brule is really starting to remind me of a hybrid between Ovehkein and Kovalchuk with Peca's defensive game.

Holy schmoly! How this guy was not drafted first overall, I will never know.


I don't mean to single you out, Surixon, as you are far from being alone in this thread, but you were the last one I saw. Everyone, on both sides of the coin, need to cool it with their comparisons and projections.

 

[Legionnaire]

Kopitar will break every (positive) record in the NHL!

 

[David A. Rainer]

Kopitar will break every (positive) record in the NHL!

That's all?! He needs to create new record categories to be any good in my book.

 

[King'sPawn]

That's all?! He needs to create new record categories to be any good in my book.

He's already gotten started!

He's the first NHLer to be called Anze.

He's also got the coolest name, in "Kopitar." Pudlick is a very distant second.

And most importantly, he's got killer mullet upside. Screw Malkin's beard!

 

[Blue Bullet]

Here's an idea, how about comparing both players at the same age, since the're both 18 now...

So last year, at 17 and on the same team:

Anze Kopitar.................................. 5gp 0g 0p 0pts
Nicklas Bergfors.............................. 25gp 1g 0p 1pts


Bergfors has more points, therefore i win the argument

Another comparison. This is there stats from the junior team they played on last year. They were fairly even in terms of PPG.

Anze Kopitar.................................. 30gp 28g 21a 49pts
Nicklas Bergfors.............................. 21gp 18g 16p 34pts

 

[surixon]

Holy schmoly! How this guy was not drafted first overall, I will never know.


I don't mean to single you out, Surixon, as you are far from being alone in this thread, but you were the last one I saw. Everyone, on both sides of the coin, need to cool it with their comparisons and projections.

I didn't say hed be anywhare near as good, it's just the style he plays is very similar to a cross between the 2. If he reaches his potential i think he'll be a regular contender for the Rocket Richard trophy.