After being released from his professional tryout with the Calgary Flames, it didn’t take long for Cody Eakin to find work. The veteran forward signed a one-year deal with the SCL Tigers in Switzerland, where he will compete in the National League.
This is Eakin’s first European sojourn and potentially a sign that his NHL career is coming to an end. The 31-year-old played 69 games for the Buffalo Sabres last season but wasn’t able to find a contract this year. In his career, Eakin has more than 700 regular-season games under his belt, including a 22-goal campaign with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2018-19.
That offense has been nowhere to be found ever since, with just 12 goals over the last three seasons combined. A valuable defensive center, it’s been a while now since you could call him a two-way presence since his contributions in the opponent’s end have disappeared.
Perhaps a year playing in Switzerland will rejuvenate his career, but at this point, it might just be that his time in the NHL has passed. It’s been a pretty successful hockey career all told, with championships in the WHL and AHL to go along with a World Championship gold medal from 2015. In 701 regular-season games, Eakin scored 256 points.
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