Hawks see defensive gain if Sopel comes back strong

There was a lot of speculation during the off-season about the Blackhawks needing to add another defenseman.

It was on former general manager Dale Tallon's to-do list before he was demoted, but it never happened, largely because of salary-cap concerns.

New GM Stan Bowman and coach Joel Quenneville say they like the current makeup of the Hawks' defense even if there are question marks after the top five of Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Brian Campbell, Cam Barker and Niklas Hjalmarsson.

Veteran Brent Sopel is hoping to erase one of those question marks with a big comeback year.

The 32-year-old Sopel pretty much was a forgotten man last season after he was shelved by elbow surgery for the final 51 games and all of the playoffs.

"I'm not flashy," Sopel said. "I've never been one of those guys that stands out so people forget about me very quickly, but at the end of the day I do try to do my job the best I can. What matters is what the coaching staff and the guys in the room think, and they obviously know what I can do."

The Hawks could use Sopel's steady game and shot-blocking ability. He blocked 45 shots in just 23 games last season.

"I expect a good training camp from (Sopel)," said Bowman. "We have a good group on defense. We'll see how they play in camp as to who fits where."

Sopel scored 2 goals in Monday's scrimmage and was solid again on Tuesday in his competition with Aaron Johnson and Jordan Hendry for the sixth spot on defense.

"He's kind of been out of the mix, but he's had a great camp so far," Quenneville said. "If you look at the depth of our blue line we aren't as deep as we were, but I like some of these guys in our training camp, him being one of them.

"That's one position you can never really have too much depth in, and Sopel really fills a need there."

Sopel has two years left on his contract at a cap hit of about $2.5 million. That's a deal the Hawks can live with if Sopel stays healthy and provides even more experience on the back end.

"Obviously, last year was a frustrating year for myself, but unfortunately injuries are part of the game," Sopel said. "I've just tried to come back here and get my feet wet (and be) ready to roll."

It was a serious elbow problem for Sopel with doctors needing to cut a tendon and reattach it.

"It was major and took a long time to get back where it should be," Sopel said. "It was just something that happened from wear and tear. Playing the way that I do, blocking shots, it takes its toll."

Sopel stayed in Chicago all summer to rehab with strength and conditioning coach Paul Goodman.

"The first few days (of camp), I feel pretty good," Sopel said. "We'll just take it from here."

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