With the 2011-12 Buffalo Sabres ending in disappointment and after a few weeks for us to gather our thoughts, it’s time for us to issue our report cards on the season. Over the next few weeks, we’ll grade every player that wore a Buffalo Sabres uniform in 2011 and 2012, from Luke Adam to Mike Weber.
Introduction: While Cody McCormick isn’t the player expected to light the lamp, he is one of the few guys that we do expect to throw down the gloves when the team needs a boost. In 2011-12, McCormick served that role well as he led the team in fighting majors with 8 and was 29th in the league in that category. McCormick did end up scoring one goal as well, which came on March 27th against the Washington Capitals.
When McCormick was on the ice, his 50 games this season was a three year low, he spent most of his time on the fourth line and didn’t have much of an impact. Besides throwing down the gloves, most of McCormick’s time on ice was spent trying to neutralize the opponent. McCormick was sixth on the team in hits with 67 and was second on the team in relative Corsi behind TJ Brennan.
Key Stat: McCormick averaged 7:50/game, which is his lowest average time on ice since the 2006-07 season when he played in six games for the Colorado Avalanche.
Thumbs Up: McCormick is that quintessential grinder that every fan loves. He pumps the crowd and team up in those moments when the team needs him and any scoring production that he produces is just gravy on the top.
Thumbs Down: With the current NHL, does it serve the Sabres well to have McCormick playing seven minutes a game or would the money be better spent on a young forward that could score more goals and have a more balanced lineup.
Voting: On a scale of one to ten, one being the lowest and ten being the highest, grade Cody McCormick on his season according to the expectations you had for him. If he met them, give him a five or a six. If he eclipsed them, aim for a seven or beyond. If he failed to meet them, give him a lower number relating to how poorly he missed the target.
On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest, how would you rate Cody McCormick for his 2011-12 season?
| 1 | 7 |
| 2 | 13 |
| 3 | 24 |
| 4 | 40 |
| 5 | 33 |
| 6 | 19 |
| 7 | 10 |
| 8 | 5 |
| 9 | 1 |
| 10 | 2 |