Anybody following Bischel? Rogle just won 7 straight playoff games and he seems to be getting top 4 minutes
Yep, I've caught most of his playoff games (at least parts of them). Bichsel's playing a primarily defensive defenseman role. I don't know the stats, but his pair always seems to be starting in the d-zone. He is their primary penalty-killer and doesn't get any PP time. They play an extremely passive/defensive system, so the d are expected to play way back whenever they expect a turnover will happen. So all that's to say he is not expected to contribute offensively and I've seen little to no offensive game from him (which I did when he was in Texas).
As for his play in the D-zone, he is extremely aggressive (almost to a fault), using his strength/size and stick to cause turnovers. He also makes a bunch of smart little plays to win a lot of his puck battles. In that respect (puck battles), he is very impressive. He also plays very mean, as he constantly crosschecks and finishes his hits hard. If any opposing player is around the crease after the whistle, he clears them out forcefully. That said, his over-aggression can cause him to lose his position on the ice. His positional awareness, to me, is his greatest weakness (even when he played in Texas). Nonetheless, he is very good defensively, which is why the coaching staff relies on him so heavily in defensive situations. He also makes a very good outlet pass (the best on his team IMO)
Anyway, I'm not a scout or anything but these are some of my observations watching him in the 7 playoff games.