Cody Eakin Signs with Buffalo

[Gabrielor]

Could've been Larsson for half the price, and twice the quality. 

 

The Hall sugar-high doesn't change my mind that this was a Pouliot-level signing.

[dudacek]

1 hour ago, Gabrielor said:

Could've been Larsson for half the price, and twice the quality.

The Hall sugar-high doesn't change my mind that this was a Pouliot-level signing.

It certainly could be. By all accounts Eakin was bad last year.

Some things to consider on the other side of the coin that Sabres Twitter didn't tell you:

• Eakin has scored at least 27 points in 6 of the past 8 years (counting his 40-point pace in the lockout). Johan Larsson's best season is 18 points.
• Eakin has 16 or more goals 4 times. Larsson's best season is 10.
• Larsson is pretty slow. Eakin is pretty fast with a puck hound mentality.
• Last year was the first time Eakin failed to register 100 shots on goal. Larsson has never hit 100.
• Larsson was a 14-minute per game player on a bad Buffalo team. Eakin averaged 15 on a good Vegas team and 17 on a good Dallas team.
• Eakin is a 49.5 career Corsi on 50.8 D-zone starts. Larsson is a 46.2 Corsi on 66.8 D-Zone starts.
• Eakin has played in 50 playoff games, including a Stanley Cup final. He topped 17 minutes a game in 4 of his 5 playoff runs. Larsson has not seen the playoffs.

Historically, Larsson is a very good defensive centre who plays a strong shot suppression game, brings nothing on offence and has spent his career trapped on bad teams. Historically, Eakin is a textbook two-way 3C who plays a puck pressure game and has spent his career playing in big games with good teams.

I didn't really watch Eakin last year. I liked him on Vegas when they went to the finals and in my viewings a few years earlier on Dallas. He approached the game like Girgensons and had better hands.

I like Larry despite his limitations in skating and offence, and thought he was superb in his role.

The Sabres clearly wanted a different package from their 3C. I don't think what Krueger asked of Larry last year will be asked of anyone this year.

Fingers crossed Eakin can bounce back and deliver what they're looking for.

Edited October 12, 2020 by dudacek

[DarthEbriate]

9 hours ago, North Buffalo said:

Agreed Eakin is not a top line guy, but Eakin has speed, is pretty good on the forecheck and brings some nasty... and has some scoring touch.  He is an opportunist.  If Rakru can coach him up on the D zone I am betting people will like him more.  Looks like the Sabres are looking for speed and power based one recent signings and picks.

This is why the Deal-That-Must-Not-Be-Named was so atrocious. It brought back Thompson with some straight line speed. And two players arguably slower than the player removed, and when factoring in hockey IQ, way slower. It was counter to the fast forechecking team JBot was also building.

We're continuing to up the speed. We're going in. We're going in full throttle.

[Gabrielor]

3 hours ago, dudacek said:

It certainly could be. By all accounts Eakin was bad last year.

Some things to consider on the other side of the coin that Sabres Twitter didn't tell you:

• Eakin has scored at least 27 points in 6 of the past 8 years (counting his 40-point pace in the lockout). Johan Larsson's best season is 18 points.
• Eakin has 16 or more goals 4 times. Larsson's best season is 10.
• Larsson is pretty slow. Eakin is pretty fast with a puck hound mentality.
• Last year was the first time Eakin failed to register 100 shots on goal. Larsson has never hit 100.
• Larsson was a 14-minute per game player on a bad Buffalo team. Eakin averaged 15 on a good Vegas team and 17 on a good Dallas team.
• Eakin is a 49.5 career Corsi on 50.8 D-zone starts. Larsson is a 46.2 Corsi on 66.8 D-Zone starts.
• Eakin has played in 50 playoff games, including a Stanley Cup final. He topped 17 minutes a game in 4 of his 5 playoff runs. Larsson has not seen the playoffs.

Historically, Larsson is a very good defensive centre who plays a strong shot suppression game, brings nothing on offence and has spent his career trapped on bad teams. Historically, Eakin is a textbook two-way 3C who plays a puck pressure game and has spent his career playing in big games with good teams.

I didn't really watch Eakin last year. I liked him on Vegas when they went to the finals and in my viewings a few years earlier on Dallas. He approached the game like Girgensons and had better hands.

I like Larry despite his limitations in skating and offence, and thought he was superb in his role.

The Sabres clearly wanted a different package from their 3C. I don't think what Krueger asked of Larry last year will be asked of anyone this year.

Fingers crossed Eakin can bounce back and deliver what they're looking for.

Nice breakdown.

 

Someone made the argument to me that Thompson-Eakin-Reinhart could re-create Tuch-Eakin-Pactioretty, and I buy that.

 

Unlike a lot of Sabres twitter, I will buy into non-analytical reasons to sign a guy (good leader, experience, will punch someone) at the right price, and while high, Eakin's deal isn't back-breaking.

 

I would still like someone on the roster who can punch Cernak in the face if he elbows Dahlin again, but we're basically out of forward spots. (LD is an option though)

Edited October 12, 2020 by Gabrielor

[Thorner]

5 hours ago, dudacek said:

It certainly could be. By all accounts Eakin was bad last year.

Some things to consider on the other side of the coin that Sabres Twitter didn't tell you:

• Eakin has scored at least 27 points in 6 of the past 8 years (counting his 40-point pace in the lockout). Johan Larsson's best season is 18 points.
• Eakin has 16 or more goals 4 times. Larsson's best season is 10.
• Larsson is pretty slow. Eakin is pretty fast with a puck hound mentality.
• Last year was the first time Eakin failed to register 100 shots on goal. Larsson has never hit 100.
• Larsson was a 14-minute per game player on a bad Buffalo team. Eakin averaged 15 on a good Vegas team and 17 on a good Dallas team.
• Eakin is a 49.5 career Corsi on 50.8 D-zone starts. Larsson is a 46.2 Corsi on 66.8 D-Zone starts.
• Eakin has played in 50 playoff games, including a Stanley Cup final. He topped 17 minutes a game in 4 of his 5 playoff runs. Larsson has not seen the playoffs.

Historically, Larsson is a very good defensive centre who plays a strong shot suppression game, brings nothing on offence and has spent his career trapped on bad teams. Historically, Eakin is a textbook two-way 3C who plays a puck pressure game and has spent his career playing in big games with good teams.

I didn't really watch Eakin last year. I liked him on Vegas when they went to the finals and in my viewings a few years earlier on Dallas. He approached the game like Girgensons and had better hands.

I like Larry despite his limitations in skating and offence, and thought he was superb in his role.

The Sabres clearly wanted a different package from their 3C. I don't think what Krueger asked of Larry last year will be asked of anyone this year.

Fingers crossed Eakin can bounce back and deliver what they're looking for.

This is a great post and everything there on the positive side leans offensive. He can't replace Larsson's defense, and like you said, I don't think they will ask him to.

Edited October 12, 2020 by Thorny

[MakeSabresGrr8Again]

1 hour ago, Gabrielor said:

Nice breakdown.

 

Someone made the argument to me that Thompson-Eakin-Reinhart could re-create Tuch-Eakin-Pactioretty, and I buy that.

 

Unlike a lot of Sabres twitter, I will buy into non-analytical reasons to sign a guy (good leader, experience, will punch someone) at the right price, and while high, Eakin's deal isn't back-breaking.

 

 we're basically out of forward spots. (LD is an option though)

After seeing Dahlin's photo, I don't think there will be a re-occurance without justice.

[MDFan]

6 hours ago, dudacek said:

It certainly could be. By all accounts Eakin was bad last year.

Some things to consider on the other side of the coin that Sabres Twitter didn't tell you:

• Eakin has scored at least 27 points in 6 of the past 8 years (counting his 40-point pace in the lockout). Johan Larsson's best season is 18 points.
• Eakin has 16 or more goals 4 times. Larsson's best season is 10.
• Larsson is pretty slow. Eakin is pretty fast with a puck hound mentality.
• Last year was the first time Eakin failed to register 100 shots on goal. Larsson has never hit 100.
• Larsson was a 14-minute per game player on a bad Buffalo team. Eakin averaged 15 on a good Vegas team and 17 on a good Dallas team.
• Eakin is a 49.5 career Corsi on 50.8 D-zone starts. Larsson is a 46.2 Corsi on 66.8 D-Zone starts.
• Eakin has played in 50 playoff games, including a Stanley Cup final. He topped 17 minutes a game in 4 of his 5 playoff runs. Larsson has not seen the playoffs.

Historically, Larsson is a very good defensive centre who plays a strong shot suppression game, brings nothing on offence and has spent his career trapped on bad teams. Historically, Eakin is a textbook two-way 3C who plays a puck pressure game and has spent his career playing in big games with good teams.

I didn't really watch Eakin last year. I liked him on Vegas when they went to the finals and in my viewings a few years earlier on Dallas. He approached the game like Girgensons and had better hands.

I like Larry despite his limitations in skating and offence, and thought he was superb in his role.

The Sabres clearly wanted a different package from their 3C. I don't think what Krueger asked of Larry last year will be asked of anyone this year.

Fingers crossed Eakin can bounce back and deliver what they're looking for.

Nice analysis.  Thank you.  Their moves here (sign Lazar and Eakin, dump Larry) certainly rely heavily on Lazar continuing to show like he did last year and Eakin rebounding, but what they were doing was not working, and Larry is what he is at this point.  No upside there  and no reason not to try a different approach.  

[SDS]

27 minutes ago, MDFan said:

Nice analysis.  Thank you.  Their moves here (sign Lazar and Eakin, dump Larry) certainly rely heavily on Lazar continuing to show like he did last year and Eakin rebounding, but what they were doing was not working, and Larry is what he is at this point.  No upside there  and no reason not to try a different approach.  

They lost a lot with Larry. They can certainly lose without him too.

[Gabrielor]

1 hour ago, SDS said:

They lost a lot with Larry. They can certainly lose without him too.

Yeah, and that's my contention with the Eakin signing.

 

Unless there's some plan to make Lazar a 13th forward, Reider a 14th, and add a guy, Eakins' position and cap basically blocks an actual defensive center.

 

I guess the hope is what he brings to the team intangibly makes up for it. 

[Curt]

1 hour ago, Gabrielor said:

Yeah, and that's my contention with the Eakin signing.

 

Unless there's some plan to make Lazar a 13th forward, Reider a 14th, and add a guy, Eakins' position and cap basically blocks an actual defensive center.

 

I guess the hope is what he brings to the team intangibly makes up for it. 

I think they can run out a checking line of Girgensons-Lazar-Okposo.  The top two lines should be able to handle neutral usage and often go head to head with the oppositions top lines.  Then maybe they can have an Thompson-Eakin-Cozens (or something like that) that gets sheltered.