Final Grade: INC
Midseason Grade: INC
Season Stats: 15 GP, 2 G, 3 A, 5 Pt, -4, 19 shots
Minutes: 297 total (9th out of 10 D), EV 16:09, PP 1:46, PK 1:51, ATOI 19:46
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Splits:
1st Half: 5 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 Pt, -2, 3 shots
2nd Half: 10 GP, 2 G, 3 A, 5 Pt, -2, 16 shots
Linemates: Sauer (8 GP), Vaananen (3), Liles (3), Klee (1)
Career: With just 15 games, Leopold did not set any career highs this season
Report: Missed the first 25 games after hernia surgery, 17 games from a groin injury, and the final 25 games with a broken wrist...Honestly, I had a really tough time evaluating his game...15 games should have been enough, but I really don't have a grasp on what he's capable of...Is supposed to have offensive skill, but has just 25 points in his last 89 games...Had 19 blocked shots and 19 hits...It's just a small sample size, but that was a pace for 104 for each over the course of the season...That would have been 4th best and 2nd best on the team... Although I suspect both numbers would be lower over 82 games...One of just two Colorado players with both a SH and PP goal (Hejduk being the other)
Fast Fact: On February 8th (Game 54), Leopold finally gave the Avalanche four defensemen with a powerplay goal this year.
2007-2007 Salary: $1,250,000
2007-2008 Status: RFA ($1,250,000 QO)
Outlook: I wish I had a better feel for what Leopold can do. I've seen a lot of talk that he'd be a good #2 guy next year, but I haven't seen enough of him to really predict that myself. Maybe he's just a #3 or #4 defensemen. Either way, it's hard to imagine that a full season with him in the lineup won't be an improvement to an already decent squad.