The Hockey News' Staff and Graph Podcast named their 2023-24 breakout candidates, and Predators center Cody Glass made the list.
The Hockey News' Staff and Graph Podcast named their 2023-24 breakout candidates, and Predators center Cody Glass made the list.
Nashville Predators center Cody Glass played big minutes and a big role for the team at the end of last season as veterans exited the lineup due to trades or injuries. The 24-year-old finished the season with 14 goals and 35 points in his 72 games, and his performance down the stretch left many in Nashville hungry to see more of Glass in a top six role. Predators fans aren't the only ones expecting a strong season from Glass when the season kicks off on October 10. The Staff and Graph Podcast hosts Rachel Doerrie and Mike Stephens believe Glass could be one of the Central Division's breakout candidates.
It was a whirlwind season for Glass in 2022-23. His goal was to make the roster out of camp, and he accomplished that. Glass was a healthy scratch for a few games early on but settled in and earned nine points between October and December. He collected 12 points and increased his average time on ice after the Predators lost Ryan Johansen and Filip Forsberg to injury and Mikael Granlund was traded at the deadline. Glass played on a line with Phil Tomasino whose numbers improved in the final six weeks of the season when he played with Glass.
New head coach Andrew Brunette will have to decide how he wants to use Glass with a very different looking roster next season. Barry Trotz signed veteran Ryan O'Reilly in the offseason, so Glass may have to battle Stanley Cup winning O'Reilly for the top line center position in training camp. Last season's success has given Glass confidence in his game, and he talked with Doerrie and Stephens on a recent episode of the Staff and Graph Podcast about the on and off ice lessons he's learned in his young career. (You can listen to that full episode here.)
Trotz has tried to temper expectations for the Nashville Predators as they navigate a roster reset, but Glass could prove to be one of the most exciting players to watch as the team begins a new chapter.
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