Confirmed with Link: Cody Hodgson to Nashville, 1 year deal

[herzausstein]

Hodgson:

I keep hearing things about his game defensively.... this can be handled by putting jarnkrok on his wing. Jarnkrok is very good defensively. If you can put them together with fiala both jarnkrok and hodgson have good vision and passing skills.... hopefully fiala can be the finisher he appears to be.

 

[mikemcburn]

Hodgson:

I keep hearing things about his game defensively.... this can be handled by putting jarnkrok on his wing. Jarnkrok is very good defensively. If you can put them together with fiala both jarnkrok and hodgson have good vision and passing skills.... hopefully fiala can be the finisher he appears to be.

I disagree that one guy's defensive owes can be resolved merely by plugging a defensively sound guy down on his line. Masked a bit, sure, but the gap is always there and ultimately other teams will expose it. Besides, the defensively sound guy is better defensively if he's not trying to make up for someone else being a wholesale liability.

I think well of Hodgson, think he's had a bum gig and believe he can pull together his tools to be that quality 2C who plays a whole game. But the onus has to be on him to reclaim his whole game and actually become what he was scouted for - an above average two-way pivot. Using another youngster as the duct tape to mask his deficiencies ain't gonna be a good long term solution for team or player.

That said, it's arguable that Hodgson's defensive game is actually as bad as his Buffalo stats would indicate. Buffalo's gutted rosters and "dump 'n chase" game style served to greatly expose the kid's defensive weaknesses. It didn't help that a so-called "defensive liability" ended up ranked 29th last year among forwards league-wide for most d-zone start percentage. That's just crazy way to "develop" any asset.

 

[NSH615]

Would really like to see Hodgson spend a nice loonnnggg stretch working for a living. His development was trashed, in my opinion, by the too much, too soon thing.

Anyway, doesn't Nashville have other center youngsters? Forsberg for example, who could slip over to center?

Forsberg is not a center. He played it some growing up, but hasn't since. The best we have as far as #1/2 are concerned are the Russians we have drafted these last 2 years but they are several years out.

 

[mikemcburn]

Forsberg is not a center. He played it some growing up, but hasn't since. The best we have as far as #1/2 are concerned are the Russians we have drafted these last 2 years but they are several years out.

Gotcha, thanks. There was a discussion on the Sabres board about Nashville having other centers to slot in and Forsberg was specifically mentioned. As it happens the NHL site lists the following guys as Nashville's top pt producers last year - and each one of them as a center. Go figure.

Forsberg
Ribeiro
Smith
Wilson
Fisher

 

[Byrddog]

Gotcha, thanks. There was a discussion on the Sabres board about Nashville having other centers to slot in and Forsberg was specifically mentioned. As it happens the NHL site lists the following guys as Nashville's top pt producers last year - and each one of them as a center. Go figure.

Forsberg
Ribeiro
Smith
Wilson
Fisher

Smith has not been a center either and Wilson has had what very few games where he played center in the NHL.

 

[Privy]

Gotcha, thanks. There was a discussion on the Sabres board about Nashville having other centers to slot in and Forsberg was specifically mentioned. As it happens the NHL site lists the following guys as Nashville's top pt producers last year - and each one of them as a center. Go figure.

Forsberg
Ribeiro
Smith
Wilson
Fisher

As stated already, Forsberg hasn't played center since he was young. Smith has never played center in the NHL. Wilson has played some center and it looked like he was going to shift over, but that never happened and I expect him to stay at wing. Obviously Fisher and Riberio are our #1 and #2 centers.

Trotz wanted all his centers to be defensibly sound. Fisher has a good two way game and so did Legwand. Wilson is more offense and Smith is all offense so those two got stuck on the wings until Trotz could bang defense into their skulls. I think Smith will be a career winger. Wilson may still shift over, but I doubt it. I expect Watson and possibly Reinhart to start on the wings also.

As for Hodgson, I think Järnkrok would be a very good winger for him. Yes Calle is smart defensibly but he also has a very high hockey IQ and good offensive instincts. Add in Fiala or Moses and you could end up with a productive 3rd line.

 

[worstfaceoffmanever]

Gotcha, thanks. There was a discussion on the Sabres board about Nashville having other centers to slot in and Forsberg was specifically mentioned. As it happens the NHL site lists the following guys as Nashville's top pt producers last year - and each one of them as a center. Go figure.

Forsberg
Ribeiro
Smith
Wilson
Fisher

Smith took 30 face-offs in 82 games last year. Forsberg took 7. Wilson took 178 face-offs in 77 games and was an atrocious 39.9% in the dot. None of those players are centers going forward.

 

[La Cosa Nostra]

No matter what this is a good move for Nashville because $1 mil is NOTHING. 13th forwards get 1 mil.

Best case scenario is he gets his head out of his rear end and he puts up a 20-25-45 type season. Hodgson will forever be a 40-49 point scorer in his best years. He was one of the worst players I have ever seen last year which was surprising since the two before that he was a solid 2nd liner.

Don't expect much and you won't be disappointed. He might surprise and return to 20g 40p form and if that's the case then you guys got a steal. He's only 25, and while he is done developing and will never be a first liner I can see him returning to his previous form and putting up 40-45 points a season again.

 

[mikemcburn]

No matter what this is a good move for Nashville because $1 mil is NOTHING. 13th forwards get 1 mil.

Best case scenario is he gets his head out of his rear end and he puts up a 20-25-45 type season. Hodgson will forever be a 40-49 point scorer in his best years. He was one of the worst players I have ever seen last year which was surprising since the two before that he was a solid 2nd liner.

Don't expect much and you won't be disappointed. He might surprise and return to 20g 40p form and if that's the case then you guys got a steal. He's only 25, and while he is done developing and will never be a first liner I can see him returning to his previous form and putting up 40-45 points a season again.

Hodgson was a 41pt producer in his rookie year mostly spent sheltered on the 3rd line and still rehabbing from a misdiagnosed/mismanaged back injury. He then went on to pace for 68pts in the shortened season with some highly regarded linemates but on a roster without depth/support, and then managed to put up 44pts in his full sophomore year on a near entirely gutted roster.

So you're thinking his ceiling with quality linemates on an established roster, under consistent coaching and playing a game style far more suited to his offensive talents is 40-45pts? I think he can get back to his offensive production form too, but that if he does you're looking at a quality 2nd-liner who puts up 55-65pts by routine.

As for developing being done, I'm not sure where you get that 25 is the cut off. Some guys don't even break into the league until 26 (see: Moulson, who went on to put up multiple 30+ goal season), break 30pts until they're 26 (see: Gionta, who at 25 hit 29 pts and at 26 hit 89pts), hit their prime until 29 (see: Sedin), etc.

Some of it's situational of course but some of that is also simply development. Body gets stronger, circumstances wake up the mentalty/drive, etc. A guy may not get any better after a certain age, but no player is, by definition, done developing at 25 - if he's still in the NHL anyway, lol.

 

[PredsV82]

No matter what this is a good move for Nashville because $1 mil is NOTHING. 13th forwards get 1 mil.

Best case scenario is he gets his head out of his rear end and he puts up a 20-25-45 type season. Hodgson will forever be a 40-49 point scorer in his best years. He was one of the worst players I have ever seen last year which was surprising since the two before that he was a solid 2nd liner.

Don't expect much and you won't be disappointed. He might surprise and return to 20g 40p form and if that's the case then you guys got a steal. He's only 25, and while he is done developing and will never be a first liner I can see him returning to his previous form and putting up 40-45 points a season again.

our third line last year literally had ZERO goals for almost a third of the season... the whole freaking like.

If Hodgson can score 12-15 goals and have 15- 20 assists as our 3C it will be a dramatic improvement

 

[OttawaRoughRiderFan*]

I have no idea how Cody Hodgson has not had a better NHL career. I just don't get it. He was sooo good in juinior. One of these days, he will come to life and surprise to the upside in a big way. Hopefully, it is for you.

At $1M, he is a steal.

 

[INDhockeyfan]

He's low risk high reward. He's only 25 unlike the old guys Poile has tried out on these cheap 1yr contracts the last couple of yrs so the reward would be a lot greater long term IF he pans out. If anything he is a bigger body then Jarnkrok at 3C that we need

 

[mikemcburn]

He's low risk high reward. He's only 25 unlike the old guys Poile has tried out on these cheap 1yr contracts the last couple of yrs so the reward would be a lot greater long term IF he pans out. If anything he is a bigger body then Jarnkrok at 3C that we need

He's bigger, sure, but he hasn't played his size routinely. He's really more like Henrik Sedin, that cerebral player who is tough on his skates and the puck, but is often called "soft" because he doesn't generally throw his body, play the body, chase hits, etc.. Last year, out of his natural center spot and looking entirely lost in his own zone, he stopped even trying to play the body for the most part, relying instead on stick-waving-at-puck for his d-game. Sad to watch really.

Anyhow, I suspect you'll find he plays it heavier going forward. After all, he was turning that edge at times last season under Nolan's doghouse grind, the buyout ought to have helped keep his eyes open that he's got bring a more whole game, and he did choose to sign up for a 3C role under a coach who apparently requires players be defensively sound. But relying on him to play his size by routine may be a stretch.

 

[ILikeItILoveIt]

Take it to the bank that Fisher will get hurt and miss at least 20 games this year. Cody will start as the 3rd line center, but will have an opportunity for Top-6 minutes subbing for Fisher. He will benefit from Lavy's system and relish not having the expectations he's had in Buffalo and Vancouver.

Too many people compare this to Ribs. Only the contract is the same. Ribs was a proven Top-6 center who f'd his life up and screwed his wife,family, and teammates. Nashville was his last resort rehab and he got back to his glory days. Cody is the hot prospect who had a good 1 1/2 years, got big money and fizzled out. At 25, he has to prove he can be a star. Risking $1mm is nothing when you consider even Cody circa last two years is a scoring upgrade over Callie at center.

Cody will make us very happy and along with some combo of Callie/Moses/Fiala/Watson, will turn our 3rd line into a scoring line, leaving our 4th line as our checking line.

 

[OttawaRoughRiderFan*]

He's low risk high reward. He's only 25...

This. The million dollars will come and go, whether he's in Nashville or not, but the upside is huge.

 

[Montross]

He's low risk high reward.

Seems like the boards are saying that about Poile signings every year now around FA time. And people seem to think that the players end up playing more like Ribeiro than Jokinen. The opposite is the actual reality.
Hods will be a middling 3rd line center here. Will be shocked if he rebounds in a way some of you seem to think he will.

 

[RaiderDoug]

Seems like the boards are saying that about Poile signings every year now around FA time. And people seem to think that the players end up playing more like Ribeiro than Jokinen. The opposite is the actual reality.
Hods will be a middling 3rd line center here. Will be shocked if he rebounds in a way some of you seem to think he will.

At 1 mil for 1 year, there is literally zero downside. So why not be optimistic?

If he's a bust, what have you lost?

 

[MrJoshua]

If he puts up thirty points on the third line he'll be a solid upgrade from last season. Anything over that is gravy. Then if Fiala or Moses can make the team and either play on the third or perform well enough to push Smith or Wilson down to the third line the team should have some real scoring depth.

 

[sparkle twin]

Cody on the radio right now. Says he wanted to come here almost more than anywhere else. His sister attends Belmont. He took his sister to our Game 1 game vs the Blackhawks.

Just listened to that interview, that was nice. He sounded really excited to come down here! He pretty much said this was his top choice once he became a UFA. He said he'll be here in a week or two just to get to know the city, he always loved coming here for road trips and the fans were so great. He just sounded so excited. And I hope that will give him even a little bit more extra motivation and hopefully everything works out here with him.

 

[Armourboy]

Just listened to that interview, that was nice. He sounded really excited to come down here! He pretty much said this was his top choice once he became a UFA. He said he'll be here in a week or two just to get to know the city, he always loved coming here for road trips and the fans were so great. He just sounded so excited. And I hope that will give him even a little bit more extra motivation and hopefully everything works out here with him.

Makes me wonder if with the signings we've made over the last several years if players aren't looking at Nashville as a great place to get things back together. No media pressure, just worrying about hockey. Has a chance to get us some pretty solid players without a ton of risk on our part, and if they want to stay, even better.

 

[Drake744]

Makes me wonder if with the signings we've made over the last several years if players aren't looking at Nashville as a great place to get things back together. No media pressure, just worrying about hockey. Has a chance to get us some pretty solid players without a ton of risk on our part, and if they want to stay, even better.

Well in the case of Ribeiro, and now Hodgson, they both had connections to the city before choosing to play here. Ribs was moving his family here anyway, and like we've said Hodgson's sister attends Belmont. Ribeiro being here is almost entirely because JP Dumont suggested he move here, and after he did he sold himself to the team.

 

[Mypetrobot]

 

[Viqsi]

HES NOT GOING TO GO TO THE FRONT OF THE NET

TRADE HIM NOW

 

[Drake744]

So basically he's just another millennial who came here from out of town sometimes.

 

[Enoch]

Will Hodgson be a RFA or UFA at the end of this 1 year deal?