Fansided

Buffalo Sabres Cody Hodgson Is New Drew Stafford

By Adam Savard |

Buffalo Sabres center Cody Hodgson had a year to forget and that’s being kind.  In 78 games Hodgson scored six goals, thirteen points and was loudly criticized for not knowing where the defensive end of the rink was.

Related – Buffalo Sabres Cody Hodgson’s Disappointing Year

Hodgson’s career with the blue and gold has similarities to that of former Buffalo Sabres forward Drew Stafford.  Though Stafford was drafted by the Sabres and Hodgson by the Vancouver Canucks both were top thirteen picks in their respective draft classes.  Both came into the league with offensive expectations that seemed ready to be filled.

Hodgson excelled in mostly third line minutes with the Canucks, putting up 33 points in his first full season (63 games), including 16 goals.  He was also a +8 during that season in 2011-12, the last time Hodgson was a plus player.  Then-GM Darcy Regier brought Hodgson in to center one of the Buffalo Sabres top two lines and signed him to a big contract which still has four years left at $4.25 million per year.

Since that contract Hodgson has found himself more in the Buffalo Sabres dog house than the locker room.  Defensive lapses as frequent as Alex Ovechkin goals and his own lack of production resulted in Hodgson watching a few games to try to get him going.  Much of that was due to his play, but fans could also point at his contract.  Because once you’re making the big money, big expectations come with it.

Stafford followed a similar arc.  The breakout happened in 2010-11 when he scored 31 goals and 52 points in 62 games.  He was becoming the power forward the Buffalo Sabres had hoped for, and received a big contract extension after that season.  He followed it up with a 20-goal season and then fell completely off the table production-wise, only scoring more than 10 once in the next three and a half seasons before his trade with Tyler Myers to the Winnipeg Jets.

Again, the big contract led to big expectations but that wasn’t the only issue impacting both players.  Fans won’t want to hear this but with the Buffalo Sabres not being very good for some time, then going through major changes at head coach, general manager and ownership, the team had to bottom out before getting better.  All of the losing effects highly competitive players and it wouldn’t stun me one bit if both Stafford and Hodgson suffered on the ice because of it.

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Look at Stafford after the trade to Winnipeg.  Add Tyler Myers to that conversation too.  Both looked like they had a new lease on their careers, a renewed energy and enthusiasm to play the game.  Read some of the post-trade quotes from both guys and you’ll see there was a sense of relief in going to a new team.

We want professional athletes to be above this sort of stuff but why should they be?  You dedicate your whole life to perfecting your sport to play at the highest level.  To get there, get signed to a big deal and have expectations for your play, only to have personal and team success miss you for several years in a row will wear you out.

I admit I was sick of Drew Stafford on the Buffalo Sabres.  To see his production drop so quickly was maddening because I had watch him – we had all watch him – play at a high level early in his career.  There is a part of me that was very happy to see him go to Winnipeg, and a bigger part enjoyed seeing his success with the Jets.

The same goes for Myers.  I didn’t need Myers off the Buffalo Sabres but once he was traded there was a jump in his game also.  I am happy for both players that they seem to enjoy playing again but wish it could have been in Buffalo.  It got me to thinking about the culture changes in the Sabres organization and how all the losing, uncertainty and lack of direction would change a player.

Which brings me back to Hodgson.  Stafford was the target of fan anger after Ville Leino was bought out, and now that he’s traded Hodgson seems public enemy number one.  But with a stable ownership and general manager, it may not take three more seasons to make a decision on his future with the Buffalo Sabres.

Hodgson is young and I believe still has several years of being a good NHL player ahead of him.  Given the success Myers and Stafford had after the trade, Hodgson feels like classic ‘change of scenery’ guy.  When the season starts in October, it’s best for Hodgson and the Buffalo Sabres if they are not together.  It signals a continued trend in a new direction for the team and gives Hodgson a chance to restart his career elsewhere.

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