Cody Eakin: A Year in Review

Throughout the offseason, Blackout Dallas will be doing season reviews on individual players and how their season played out. Reviews that have been done thus far include Jamie Benn, Jordie Benn, Trevor Daley, and Jason Demers. It is now time to look at Cody Eakin‘s 2014-15 season.

Adjusting to Life as the Shut-Down Center

After Jim Nill and the Dallas Stars brought in Jason Spezza, it cemented Cody Eakin’s role as the shut-down third line center. He has the most defensive responsibilities out of any forward on the team and is the player that Lindy Ruff trusts to play against the opponent’s best players. No Dallas Star won more faceoffs at even strength than Cody Eakin did this season. He struggled early on in that regard but showed incredible improvements as the season went on. Only Alex Goligoski had more overall defensive zone starts than Eakin, showing how much Ruff relies on him at the Stars end of the ice. Only Travis Moen and his usual two linemates Ryan Garbutt and Antoine Roussel had a lower offensive-zone-start % than Cody Eakin. Because Eakin was given the tough assignments more often than anyone on the team, his possession numbers were down compared to the rest of the team. Overall he still posted a 50.12 corsi-for-% at even strength, so he was still generating more shots than his opponents. Those numbers should continue to improve as he develops into a shut-down center.

Perhaps the most outstanding part of Eakin’s defensive game this season was his ability to force turnovers. Only nine players in the entire NHL had more takeaways than Cody Eakin. Seven of them played 250 or more minutes above Eakin’s totals. His tenacity is noticeable whenever he is on the ice. His speed allows him to stick to opponents and force the issue and that was apparent all season long. As Eakin continues to mature, he will become even more of a defensive machine.

Not Just Defense

While Eakin was excellent defensively as he continues to mold into a shut-down center, he provided quite a bit of offense for the Dallas Stars this season as well. He finished fourth on the team with 40 points in 78 games, helped by playing with Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin at times. He was a threat both shorthanded and on the powerplay, where he scored two goals in each of those situations. His 19 total goals put him behind only Benn and Seguin and he showed how productive he can be. The growth of Cody Eakin is not just limited to his defensive play. He has shown a ton of ability in the offensive zone as well. If he can continue to improve his finishing ability, Eakin can be a yearly 20 goal scorer. Because Eakin has shown the ability to play up the lineup as well, he will almost always be one of the first called upon to fill a top role due to injuries.

Final Thoughts on Cody Eakin

The 2014-15 season was a great year in the development of Cody Eakin. He thrived at times and he struggled at times while he continues to adapt to being a shut-down center. He is coming off the best offensive season of his career and his production should only go up as his career moves on. He has one year left on his contract in Dallas but he looks like a player that the Stars are going to lock down for many years to come. He fits his role so well already at such a young age and he is only going to get better as he plays more. Eakin’s play this season has earned him a spot on Canada’s roster for the World Championships. The core of this team needs a player like Cody Eakin, who does all of the dirty work for the forwards on this team. The offense is already there and let’s not forget it was his goal that clinched Jamie Benn’s Art Ross victory. Eakin is a must-watch player moving forward.

Next: Jason Demers: A Year in Review

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