Cody Eakin: 3 Fun Facts

One of the more interesting players on the Golden Knights is Cody Eakin.
After all, on a team with many forwards trying to make a mark in the National Hockey League for the first time, Eakin is one of the few to have multiple offensively successful seasons under his belt.
The center had a pair of 16-goal, 19-assist seasons in 2013-14 and 2015-16 season, and 19 goals and 40 points in 2014-15.
Last season, however, Eakin fell out of favor with the Dallas Stars, and injury and inconsistency limited him to just three goals.
Except at age 26, conventional wisdom suggests he's still entering his prime, making his difficult year last season all the more puzzling.
By selecting Eakin from the Stars in the Expansion Draft, the Golden Knights are banking on No. 21's return to form.

Here are three fun facts to get to know Eakin better.
1. Has a lot of familiarity with general manager George McPhee
While Eakin's mostly remembered as a Dallas Star, he was originally drafted by McPhee with the Washington Capitals. Eakin debuted in the NHL with the Capitals under McPhee in 2011-12, and also played for their farm team, the Hershey Bears, en route to that club's Calder Cup championship in 2009-10.

2. Has Opportunity Down The Middle In Vegas
Eakin is strictly a center. In Dallas, he usually lined up as his team's third-line center, stuck behind established star players Tyler Seguin and Jason Spezza.
The Golden Knights are a different story, with a less established depth chart, which seemingly gives Eakin the chance to player in a higher impact role than ever before.
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Vadim Shipachyov, a high-scoring center from the KHL, is expected to play a key offensive role for the Golden Knights.
Behind Shipachyov, Eakin, William Karlsson, Oscar Lindberg and Erik Haula enter the season in similar situations.
All have shown glimpses of top-6 potential, yet have yet to be permanent players on a first or second-line.
Depending on who you ask, Eakin, Karlsson, Lindberg and Haula can be ranked 1-4 in any order.
This gives all of them, especially Eakin, the chance to emerge.
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3. Comes From A Hockey Family
His father, Grant Eakin, was a left wing who played four professional seasons before retiring at age 24.
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Eakin's uncle, Bruce, played 18 professional seasons, mostly in Europe. Bruce Eakin did, however, get into 13 career NHL games, including a brief cup of coffee with the Detroit Red Wings in 1985-86, where he was teammates with Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant.