February 10, 2012
Posted in BC Edition, Columns, Professional
It looks like Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will duke-it-out with Devils forward Adam Henrique for the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie, with the edge to ‘The Nuge.’ Meanwhile, Canucks rookie Cody Hodgson has earned his way into the discussion of who the third finalist might be, along with guys like Gabriel Landeskog (Avalanche) and Matt Read (Flyers).
With about 30 games left in the regular season, Hodgson has put himself in a position to be seriously considered as a finalist. But even if he falls short of the Top 3, just being in the conversation is a big achievement, especially considering how far he has come.
It wasn’t too long ago that the 2008 10th overall pick was being written-off as damaged goods—his back injuries (among others) were really starting to pile-up on him. Some were cautiously optimistic about the long-term but popular commentary was that he was too slow and too small to really help the Canucks. Many perceived him as a first-round bust.
Fast forward to February 2012 and Hodgson is coming-off a rookie invite to NHL All-Star weekend, he is the NHL’s reigning Rookie of the Month, and he is on pace for 22 goals and 47 points while making efficient use of his 12 or 13 minutes of icetime per game. Coach Vigneault has even started referring to the Canucks’ second powerplay group as “Cody’s unit.”
The 21-year-old centre had his share of mental lapses earlier in the season, but he seems to have really cleaned-up his play—Vigneault has shown more confidence to put him in key situations. And no one’s really talking about his footspeed, anymore. Everyone’s talking about how hard his shot is, how smart he is, and how much work he puts in off the ice. There was even a time when Ryan Kesler’s play was sputtering and some were calling for Cody to be the second line centre with Kesler moving to Cody’s wing.
And being the only Vancouver Canuck under 23, Hodgson has pretty much made himself an “untouchable” asset for GM Mike Gillis.
So, Calder or no Calder, the main thing for Canucks fans is that CoHo is starting to look like the big fish he was always projected to be.
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