from Ryan Dixon of Sportsnet,

The ultimate success of Buffalo’s complete reboot will largely be determined by the high-end picks the Sabres have either already made (Sam Reinhart, second overall last June) or are on target to make in the next year or two. That said, players like (Cody) Hodgson, Tyler Ennis and Marcus Foligno will be huge factors in determining just how fast Buffalo turns the corner, and how far it can go upon getting properly directed.

Hodgson has been a particular point of interest for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the fact he was part of an out-of-the-blue, one-for-one trade between Buffalo and the Vancouver Canucks that sent ruffian Zack Kassian the other way in February, 2012. While Kassian has developed into a rugged third-liner capable of chipping in offence with Vancouver, there remains no doubt that Buffalo made off with the more skilled player. Two years ago, during the lockout-shortened 2013 campaign, Hodgson posted the rough equivalent of a 25-goal season on a team that was just starting to crumble. And while his production dropped last year, Hodgson still registered 20 goals on a last-overall squad that was the only outfit in the league that failed to average at least two tallies per game.

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