Former 20-goal scorer Cody Eakin signs in Switzerland

After being released from his professional tryout with the Calgary Flames, it didn’t take long for Cody Eakin to find work. The veteran forward signed a one-year deal with the SCL Tigers in Switzerland, where he will compete in the National League.

This is Eakin’s first European sojourn and potentially a sign that his NHL career is coming to an end. The 31-year-old played 69 games for the Buffalo Sabres last season but wasn’t able to find a contract this year. In his career, Eakin has more than 700 regular-season games under his belt, including a 22-goal campaign with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2018-19.

That offense has been nowhere to be found ever since, with just 12 goals over the last three seasons combined. A valuable defensive center, it’s been a while now since you could call him a two-way presence since his contributions in the opponent’s end have disappeared.

Perhaps a year playing in Switzerland will rejuvenate his career, but at this point, it might just be that his time in the NHL has passed. It’s been a pretty successful hockey career all told, with championships in the WHL and AHL to go along with a World Championship gold medal from 2015. In 701 regular-season games, Eakin scored 256 points.