It appears Cody Eakin is about to be reunited with George McPhee.
Then the general manager of the Washington Capitals, McPhee selected Eakin in the third round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. On Wednesday, reports emerged that Eakin is heading to Las Vegas, taken in the expansion draft by McPhee, now GM of the Golden Knights and perhaps right now the most powerful person in the league.
Eakin played 30 games for the Capitals in 2011-12, scoring four goals and eight points.
He was traded following that season to Dallas, where he eventually earned praise from former coach Lindy Ruff for his defensive play as a center. However, Ruff also saw more offensive upside. Two seasons ago, Eakin reached career highs with 19 goals and 40 points.
“He can be a good offensive player. He can be a guy that you can trust defensively which for any centreman is a really good place to be,” said Ruff, per CBC.
“Defensively he’s done a nice job. He’s a guy that can play on the power play. I’ve used him killing penalties. I think as these games go on his role evolves and he gets comfortable in what he’s doing best.”
Eakin is about to enter the second year of a four-year, $15.4 million contract that has an annual cap hit of $3.85 million. This past season, his offensive numbers declined, as he scored three goals and 12 points in 60 games.