#10 First Rd:Canucks Pick - Cody Hodgson, Brampton Battalion

[levelheaded]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_o5NftYdcNg

When was the last time we had a player that could do this? Strips the opposing player of the puck at centre proceeds to skate into the zone (at a decent speed certainly from this clip his skating doesn't look bad at all) and WIRES it past the goaltender. A Canuck forward with a legitimate slapshot. Well slap me silly.

[MarkMM]

I like this pick more than any other we've made since Bure:-)

There've also been comparisons to Yzerman (Globe and Mail, take it for what it's worth), and given that he won't ruin team chemistry the way Beach might've (picking fights with teammates) and chemistry is essential to winning, I'd take a guy compared to Yzerman more than one that might be a Bertuzzi clone.

[Grizzly]

Sorry don't know alot about these kids ..... but are any of them potentially NHL ready for next year or will they be minimum 2-3 year wait and see's ??

Grizz

[Linden Is God]

Well at first I wasn't pleased with this pick. Then I realized that I get him and Boychuk mixed up. I thought Hodgson was the smaller one, but turns out it's Boychuk who's like 5'9".If this guy develops into anything as close as Drury, then I will be happy with it. I hope he has a fast development.

[Badfish]

Sportsnet's write up on him, with a quick video interview:

Hodgson felt Canucks were calling

Can he make the jump next season?

"I'm not too sure but I'm going to work as hard as I can this summer to make it," said Hodgson, five-foot-11 and 183 pounds. "It's up to the coaching staff to make that decision but I'm going to work hard and try and make the team."

[BingoTough]

You have to think he's happier playing in Vancouver than for the Islanders

[antro]

i like the pick. i had heard of him before on the TSN top 60 description, and thought that would be very nice pick up. a player with a lot of smarts, a centerman--even a right-handed shot! I like the fact that he is defensively responsible (see Datsyuk & Zetterberg in this year's playoffs), but also he qb'd the PP:

From NHL Central Scouting: He is a very skilled centerman who's hockey sense has him quarterbacking the power-play from down at the half boards. He knows when to shoot and when to pass – his point total reflects that. He's also a good face-off guy; he can take face-offs with the best of them and win them at the OHL level.

from here.

i also like the poise he seems to have in an interview, see Badfish's link. Yes, he gives up all the usual clicheed answers, but on the day of his draft, where he is excited as all hell, he was able to be articulate. that bodes well for a kid who's going to be under the spotlight.

and, good PR management by MG: talking about how Beach is getting treated to harshly, and how they're interested in Beach, etc etc. keeping the enemy confused.

[Jovorock]

This is a great pick, 40g 45a 85pts in 68games. A future captain, with alot of heart. This is a slam dunk IMO.

Beach might be better down the road, or he might be a bust. This is a safe pick at 10, a awesome pick.

[Sid Dithers]

I like that pick of Hodgson. Character kid, good vision, good hands. It seems like a safe, smart pick. Very glad in the end that Gillis didn't buy Beach's clown act. He may turn out well, but with a lot of real good players in this draft, there's no logical reason to choose a kid who has a monster-size question mark hanging over his head. Maybe in other years it would be worth the gamble, but not this year, not this draft. Too many quality players here.

[ClamRussel]

Thats exactly it.....if there was a major drop off in talent and Beach was hands down the best you take a chance on him.....but w/ 15 or so sure-fire NHLers available in the first round why bother gambling on character when you can get a player equally as talented w/o those issues.

Here's another goal to check out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZ-XEu4D ... re=related

I'm sold-nice pick!

[the toucan kid]

Good face-off man? That alone makes this a good pick. Seriously seems like a great pick and probably will become a top tier 2nd line center for us, no harm in being deep up the middle.

[Soapy]

Right handed centre Captain ability Great leadership
Depth down the middle I really like this pick....of course we will forever measure him against Beach...looking forward to years of bragging or complaining!

[Jelly]

a young trevor linden?