Cody Eakin provided stability to the bottom-six forward group of the Vegas Golden Knights.
Fans, media and everyone else in between set expectations low for the Vegas Golden Knights. In 2017-18. However, the team and coaching staff had different ideas and turned the tables on the entire NHL. The Golden Knights went out and proved everyone wrong in their very first campaign.
Just about every single player on the Golden Knights roster went above and beyond expectations. Every player bought into Gerard Gallant’s fast transition style of play, and it worked to near perfection. On VegasHockeyKnight.com, we will go over each player with an in-depth analysis and give them a grade based upon their performance during the Golden Knights inaugural season.
Today we talk about a player that brings 100% every night in Cody Eakin. Eakin was the mainstay on the Golden Knights third line during the teams inaugural season. Let’s take an in-depth look at the year the Winnipeg, Manitoba native had in 2017-18.
Going back to the expansion draft in June of 2017, it was almost a lock that the Golden Knights were going to take a chance on the decent centermen. Sure enough, the Dallas Stars decided to leave Eakin exposed, and Vegas was there to take him right off their hands. While it may not have been the best selection in the expansion draft, Eakin provided balance and the ability to play multiple roles.
Eakin was never going to be the most offensively skilled player on this roster, but his versatility allowed him to stay in the lineup and contribute on a nightly basis. Golden Knights Head Coach Gerard Gallant used Eakin in many different situations such as the penalty kill and critical faceoff draws.
As for Eakin’s offensive numbers, they’re not flashy by any means necessary. Eakin scored 11 goals, 16 assists and 27 points in 80 games played during the Golden Knights inaugural season. I expected a little more offensive production, but I wasn’t totally shocked by the lack of offensive output.
During the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Eakin barley put up any offensive number for the Golden Knights. In 20 postseason games, Eakin totaled just three goals, one assist, and four points. However, when he did make a difference, he made it count by coming up big in clutch situations.
Eakins shining moment in a Golden Knights uniform came in game three against the Los Angeles Kings in the first round of the playoffs. Vegas was buzzing looking for the tying goal with a little less than 13 minutes ago and Eakin’s first shot got blocked in front and teammate Ryan Carpenter took the rebound, passed it back to Eakin who made no mistake. The Golden Knights ended up winning game three by the score of 3-2.
Grading Eakin’s year based on a lack of offense would be incredibly short-sighted. We have to look at the player himself and what he brought to the team. And in my mind, he deserves a solid grade for being a 200-foot player.
Grade: C+
All in all, Cody Eakin should provide the same type of production in 2018-19 as he did in 2017-18. He’ll likely center the Golden Knights third line for the entire season unless something catastrophic happens. Gallant relies on Eakin in tight spots, and he will continue to do so in the Vegas Golden Knights second season in franchise history.