Eakin is a bit of a chip off the old block. The son of Grant "Butch" Eakin, a 1977 Cleveland Barons draftee who carved out a minor-league career as a hard-nosed defensive forward, Cody plays the same gritty style his father once played.

The difference in their games comes when Cody has the puck on his stick.

In addition to being both defensively sound and tough enough to play the role of a checking-line center, which he did for the majority of his first four years in the NHL, Eakin can make a solid contribution in the offensive end of the ice as well.

A consistent scorer with the Dallas Stars, Eakin was promoted to first-line center after Tyler Seguin was hurt late in the 2015-16 season. He responded by ranking third on the Stars in Stanley Cup Playoff scoring with eight points (one goal) in 13 games. Eakin's lone goal during the 2016 playoffs was an overtime winner against the St. Louis Blues in Game 4 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals.

Eakin's arrival in Dallas came via a trade on June 22, 2012 following his rookie season with Washington Capitals, who drafted him in the third round (No. 85) in the 2009 NHL Draft.

Eakin made his NHL debut on Nov. 1, 2011 against the Anaheim Ducks and scored his first NHL goal and assist three nights later in his second game, a 5-1 win against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Eakin had his breakout year two seasons later, scoring 35 points (16 goals) in 81 games during the 2013-14 season. The next season he scored 40 points (19 goals), followed by a 35-point season, again with 16 goals, in 2015-16.

A native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, where his father became a police officer following his hockey career, Eakin played junior hockey in the Western Hockey League for Swift Current, who moved from Lethbridge, where Eakin's father and Stars coach Lindy Ruff were teammates in the late-70s.