Cody Hodgson's Sabre Promotion Could Boost His Chance at a Calder Trophy

Last night, the Vancouver Canucks got a first look at Cody Hodgson in a Buffalo Sabres' uniform since trading him and Alexander Sulzer for Zach Kassian and Marc-Andre Gragnani in a trade deadline package.  

Although Kassian shone among the new faces, the Buffalo Sabres were the better team in the game—and Cody Hodgson wasn't the reason why when it came to good scoring chances.  

As a Canuck, Cody Hodgson would have been forced to wait years before he was a top two center, with Henrik Sedin and Ryan Kesler filling the spot.  

On Buffalo, he's still playing on the third line along with Tyler Ennis and Drew Stafford, but his odds at a promotion are high.  Currently, the second line center is Nathan Gerbe—a player who's considerably less talented offensively than Hodgson.  

If Cody does crack the top six by the end of the season, his chances at the Calder Trophy skyrocket.  

He's currently 10 points behind rookie leader Adam Henrique of the New Jersey Devils. With just 17 games remaining for Buffalo, it's still a long shot to gain the 10 points back, but his odds are better than they were on Vancouver.  

As the Buffalo Sabres try to fight their way back into the playoffs, don't be surprised to see Cody Hodgson lead the way offensively as he gains ground on Adam Henrique.