Cody Hodgson, an electrifying young player expected to take the big next step from talented phenom to established star, instead crashed back to earth during a frustratingly ineffective 2014-15 season for the Buffalo Sabres.
Questions of Hodgson's future have swirled in Buffalo thus far this offseason and Sabres GM Tim Murray added some fuel to the speculative flames on Wednesday when he suggested that a buyout remained a possibility for the once highly-touted Hodgson.
"Cody Hodgson is in Sweden trying to become a better skater," reports Paul Hamilton of WGR550.com (h/t to Josh Cooper of Yahoo Sports). "Murray said his agent Claude Lemieux has been sending video updates showing his progress.
"Murray said he told Hodgson that he needed to improve his skating and needs to be in better condition.
"Murray said a buyout is still a decision. Check back in the next few days as Matthew Coller is preparing a feature on him."
Hodgson, who was acquired by the Sabres in 2012 via trade with the Vancouver Canucks for Zack Kassian, signed a six-year, $25.5 million contract which carries an AAV of $4.25 million in 2013.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman suggested in January that Hodgson could prove to be a buyout candidate for the Sabres.
"Hodgson has been the biggest one," Friedman said at the time while appearing on Edmonton's 630 CHED, via NicholsOnHockey.com. "And I wonder if he's a buyout candidate at the end of the year, honestly. If he's a guy who's going to end up being in that position where the Sabres try and buy him out. Because he's been a fourth-liner this year. They've even moved him off center. Clearly he's in Ted Nolan's dog house. Maybe - I don't know - maybe he just needs a fresh start somewhere."
Nolan is now gone, and the 25-year-old Hodgson admitted after the season that it was an extremely difficult year. He vowed to get right to work trying to fix the holes in his game which seemingly appeared out of thin air in 2014.
"This is by far the worst years just I've had in my whole life, not just in just in a National Hockey League year," Hodgson said after the season, via Bill Hoppe of The Olean Times Herald. "I can't explain what happened or what happened in more than one instance.
"It wasn't just one time. It was consistently, whatever is was, missing opportunities, saves, bad luck - whatever you want to call it. I'll be much better next year."
Heading to Sweden to try and fix his skating is certainly an important step for Hodgson even if there are no tangible results. It shows Murray and new Sabres head coach Dan Bylsma that he's serious about fixing whatever issues ailed him last year as he managed just six goals and 13 total points in 78 regular season games.
Hodgson is still young and still talented - he led the Sabres in scoring in 2013-14 for a reason - but his future in Buffalo will likely remain cloudy throughout the offseason unless a buyout is announced, Murray guarantees his return or some other fate befalls the gritty center.
