Here's a snipped I grabbed from the Canucks message board:

The Hodgson deal is tougher to gauge. I know Hodgson was likely gone. I just felt that it was a deal to do in the off-season. We moved a guy who could fill a top six role in a pinch or injury to Kes or Hank for a player who, from everything I have read from Buffalo fans, is not NHL ready on a team that is expecting to compete. Buffalo, when they saw the writing on the wall, could afford to give him some time. Do we have that luxury. The more you read, the more damning it gets. Left his physicality in junior, has a shitty attitude, lazy, hands aren't that good. They're acting like they turned shit into gold.

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I also saw many Canucks fans crying that he left, saying he had amazing talent... Some fans will just spew shit thinking they're right, others won't. I'm not sure who's correct, but the EXPERTS mostly say he's a great player, and he has 33 points playing Vancouver's third line.

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"Counting all the assholes in the room, I'm definitely not alone!" ~ Michael Poulsen, Volbeat, Still Standing.

That's a very fair point.

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From all the talk today on tHe whole I pulled from it that he's a good player with great potential being shadowed by NHL elite centers. Hope he fits. Now if we get a new coach and a new system....hmmmm....

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I watched every goal he's scored that NHL.com has video of. He's had deflections, slap shots, wristers, garbage goals crashing the net... seems as though the kid's a good player.

I'd be hard pressed to believe a kid with a shitty attitude captained Team Canada to a world junior gold. But that's just me.

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Wheelhouse

No one can deny that Cody had a great junior career and won gold for team Canada but its the toughness issue where lies the problem for buffalo moving forward. We need to get bigger and stronger instead of smaller and softer. Your in a division with Boston who has skill, scoring and toughness on every line. See where the problem is. Plus u think Burke won't make moves in the near future to get better? I highly doubt it.

Like Darcy said, grit and size is easier to acquire than top 6 skill, especially at center.

He'll address the grit issue over the summer. He's in a great position to do so with 2 first and 2 second round picks.

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Wheelhouse

I'm just a little worried how he will handle his transition from a cup contender to Buffalo.

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You play harder because you'll have more room to shine without being behind two great centers.

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Can't wait to see Hodgson drop the gloves with Kassian on Saturday night! He'll say "fuck you for taking my spot on a contender. Now we'll see who's tough".

Is it just me, or is Hodgson built like a brick? I watched that short video the Sabres have up, and the guy surprised me. Maybe it was the coat he was wearing. Maybe I've been expecting him to look small because of what people are saying (small & soft) but I was impressed with his fireplug appearance.

He looks stocky enough to me.

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You won't find a guy who works harder in the off-season on his physical attributes. If his skating ever comes around(which it well might, because hard work is what gets it), he'll be amazing.

He's 185lbs


we'll see about that

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Have you looked at him yet? He doesn't look 185.

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He is a seriously jacked 185. 185 at 6' he would look like a fucking beanpole. That is not the case.

6'0 185 is actually pretty solid. Near perfect height/weight ratio.

Agreed, and we could even get Gaustad back. Wouldn't that be a coup to stick it to Nashville?

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"...they came down into the stands and asked if I knew how to do play by play. I said...No. But. I'll take a shot at it if you want".- Rick Jeanneret

His upper/lower body ratio looks weird though. His legs look really short. That's probably why he isn't the smoothest skater.

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One summer of working out with Gerbe and he'll never get knocked off the puck, and he'll skate like a maniac.

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Wheelhouse