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Hodgson: Last Season Was A Disaster |
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Cody Hodgson has moved on. Literally and figuratively.
He is a Nashville Predator now and he likes it. A lot.
Hodgson was bought out of the final four years of the $25.5 million contract that he inked with the Buffalo Sabres two years ago. Sabres GM Tim Murray had seen enough of Hodgson’s inconsistent ways. The Sabres were so weak down the middle of the ice. Murray had seen enough. He vowed to strengthen his center core then selected super center Jack Eichel second overall at the NHL Draft. He gave notice that Samson Reinhart would be staying and playing in Buffalo this season. He also opted to buy out Hodgson. He also traded Mikhail Grigorenko to Colorado in the Ryan O’Reilly blockbuster. The Buffalo center depth chart for 2014-15 has been upgraded to reflect:
L1: O'Reilly
L2: Eichel
L3: Girgensons or Reinhart
L4: Legwand
Tyler Ennis, Johan Larsson and Cody McCormick also play center.
On locker clean out day in April, Hodgson was one of four centers in the Buffalo lineup. In July, his fortunes changed and he was handed his walking papers.
He took an immediately liking to Smashville.
"Everything hockey sold me," Hodgson said. "Everything else was a bonus. I love country music ... my sister goes to Belmont, so everything is a good fit off the ice. But it was the hockey that sold me."
According to The Tennessean, Hodgson took a trip in April to visit his sister in Nashville.
While there, Hodgson logged online, bought two tickets to Game 1 of the Predators vs. Blackhawks first round playoff game.
He said that he was hooked by the noise and energy in the building.
"The excitement and passion of the fans was pretty incredible," Hodgson said. "I thought the series could have gone either way."
Hodgson disappeared in 2014-15 after he potted 20 goals and 44in 2014-15. Hodgson struggled so badly that he was dropped down to the wing on the fourth line after clashing on more than one occasion with Ted Nolan about his laissez faire approach to his livelihood. On more than one occasion, Nolan said that he would lie awake at night trying to find a way to motivate Hodgson to be the complete player that his scouting report described him as when he was chosen 8th overall at the 2010 NHL Draft. Hodgson scored just six goals and 13 points in 78 games last season. The tanking Sabres finished dead last in the NHL standings for the second season in a row. Hodgson’s role was reduced to bottom three grinder largely because of his skating and lack of giddy-up and go in his stride.
"It was a rough year all the way around, on the ice, off the ice, everything could go wrong went wrong," Hodgson said. "It was a disaster of a season by all accounts.
Preds GM David Poile to the rescue.
"It's a new day now."
Hodgson has been granted a second chance (third if you count his short stay in Vancouver). What he does with this opportunity is totally up to him.
Nashville has become the town where embattled and inconsistent NHLes go to find their games after failing elsewhere. Last season, Poile signed center Mike Ribeiro to a one-year, $1.05 million contract. It's the same deal Poile used to land Hodgson on the first day of free agency July 1.
Ribeiro answered the bell and potted 15 goals and a team-high 47 assists in 2014-15. Poile recently signed Ribiero to a generous two-year, $7 million contract.
Hodgson doesn’t mind taking the same road to redemption that Ribeiro has taken.
"Hopefully, I can do what he did. It's a new opportunity for me like it was for him," said Hodgson, who started his NHL career with Vancouver after being selected with the 10th pick in the 2008 entry draft. "Hopefully, I can make the most of it like (Ribeiro) did."
So, where will Hodgson play in Peter Laviolette’s lineup?
Mike Fisher is penciled in at first line center. Ribeiro is the second line center. Hodgson is projected to play the third line pivot position.
Is his skating up to the challenge?
"I've played third line, fourth line in Vancouver," he said. "I played third line when I first got to Buffalo. I'll play wherever a place is available. It's nice to play on such a good team like this. I can fit into anywhere."
***
I say: “Jason Kasdorf”.
You say: “WHO”?
I say: “You know, Jason Kasdorf”.
You say: “I have no idea who you are talking about”.
Heretofore, Jason Kasdorf will be a trivia question answer in Buffalo, NY.
Kasdorf was the “throw in” player in the Evander Kane-Tyler Myers blockbuster trade between Buffalo and Winnipeg. Kasdorf, the 6’4” goaltender from Winnipeg, Manitoba, currently plays NCAA hockey for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) and is making quite the name for himself at prospects development camp in Buffalo.
Drafted by the Winnipeg Jets in the sixth round of the 2011 NHL entry draft, Kasdorf has already proved himself in college and could be a key factor for the Sabres’ depleted goaltender position.
He created a buzz at RPI when he compiled a 14-5-2 record .935 save percentage and 1.62 GAA in his freshman season. Then, he suffered a serious should injury which caused him to miss his sophomore season. He bounced back nicely last season and posted an 11-19-2 record with a 2.97 GAA and .902 save percentage. Not a bad season when you consider his ability to rebound from a serious shoulder injury.
Kasdorf still has one season of NCAA eligibility. Tim Murray, Dan Bylsma and the Sabres scouts are getting an extended look at Kasdorf this week. The kid hasn’t done a thing to embarrass himself either. He has made some really nice saves in key situations in shooting drills. In fact, I would list Kasdorf as one of my top six most appreciated players at the 2015 Sabres development camp. I’d rank him behind Jack Eichel, Sam Reinhart, Jake McCabe, Justin Bailey and Nick Baptiste.
Kasdorf is a stock that the Sabres bought low and intend to ride high.
Kasdorf will have a chance to showcase his goaltending tools in Friday night’s Blue & Gold scrimmage.
Tim Murray loves his huge goalies, as evidenced by the acquisition of Robin Lehner who stands 6'5" and weighs 225 lbs. Murray has said repeatedly that he is still looking for another goalie to backup Andrey Makarov in Rochester. Swedish stud Linus Ullmark continues to rehab from his recent double hip surgery. He is expected to make a full recovery and Murray expects him to land in Buffalo come Christmas time. In hockey, as in life, one man’s loss is another man’s gain. If the 23 year old Kasdorf continues to shine brightly while in the company of Sabres prospects Cal Petersen (Notre Dame) and Jhonas Johannson (Almtuna IS, SEL), he may find himself moving up the depth chart soon. A standout performance in the prospects game and another solid season at RPI may give him the leg up over all other young goalies in the Buffalo pipeline.
“Obviously, I’m a big Winnipeg fan as I am from there, but I know it's all part of the business and I want to be wherever I have the best opportunity of making the NHL,” Kasdorf said recently.
Thanks, Sabres.com
**
Brian Duff introduces us to Kasdorf, Petersen, and Johansson in this piece
**
Welcome to Shark Week.
Dateline: Buffalo, NY.
Where we track the ultra aggressive and lightning fast Eichel shark.
Watch how he devours he defenseless D-man as if he were an appetizer. Then, the Eichel shark plays a game of chicken with the poor defenseless goalie and waits him out until he blinks first.
Voila.
The Eichel shark makes it look so easy.
Thanks, @RProcks
Seriously though.
I marvel at Eichel's edge work and his ability to go zero to sixty in two strides. Sort of Mogilnyesque in his explosiveness.
Watch Eichel dig his outside right edge into the ice while applying his weight to his left inside edge, to blow past the D. Low center of gravity, knees bent, his weight evenly distributed over his edges. Then, he uses his long stick to deke backhand and pull it to the forehand. All the whiles, his eyes are on the puck and he's playing mental chess with Petersen. Then, his crowning achievement is his patience to make Petersen commit to blinking first.
Just when you though Eichel was out of the play and the scoring chance was averted, he buries it behind Petersen with his patented, trademark 7 foot wingspan.
You can't teach reach!
It's as if Eichel is not human!
Eichel has been victimizing goalies all week at Sabres prospects camp. He's killing it with toe drags, clappers, dekes, and by good old fashioned jam plays at the goal mouth.
I knew that Eichel was a great player but I didn't think that he would be making mince meat out of the goalies and D in camp.
I can't wait to see what tricks that Jack has up his sleeve for Friday night's Blue & Gold scrimmage!
Eichel is serving tasty, sweet treats! He's the EichScream Man! All his flavors are guarantee to satifsy!
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