Toronto Maple Leafs 2017 NHL Draft Preview: No. 6 Cody Glass
By Austin Owens
As the Toronto Maple Leafs and the rest of the NHL prepare for the draft, we look at Cody Glass, whose best season of his junior career has catapulted him into the top 10 prospects in this year’s class.
The 2016 draft had several headlining players that controlled the main portion of the coverage in North America. This was particularly true north of the border, as the Toronto Maple Leafs and every other Canadian team failed to reach the playoffs.
This summer will be a different story. Further, there has been a lot of movement in the draft rankings over the course of the season.
On Thursday, we looked at Casey Mittelstadt. Today, we turn to Cody Glass, who is currently projected to go in the top 10 in this June’s NHL entry draft and is our sixth-ranked prospect.
The common theme in these rankings has been the risers in this year’s class. Glass is another example of this. The centre wasn’t projected as a first round prospect, as he entered this past season with a career-high of just 27 points at the junior level.
However, Glass went on to smash his previous career high, scoring 94 points and leading the Portland Winterhawks in scoring. Here’s what Peter Harling from Dobber Prospects had to say about Glass:
"He has seen marked improvements in his skating and strength adding about ten pounds this season. Glass thinks the game fast, has a high hockey IQ and has great vision combined with soft hands and excellent puck skills. His compete level is elite and the main development opportunity for Glass is to continue to add strength and mass to his projectable 6-2 frame"
His season was highlighted by a game against the Calgary Hitmen, where he had five points and a natural hat trick in the first period:
The Winterhawks finished the season in the first wild-card position in the Western Conference. After taking care of the Prince George Cougars in the first round, they were eliminated in five games by the Kelowna Rockets.
Glass has the raw talent to be a top-six forward at the next level, and at his size, he’s the prototypical centre in the NHL.
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What’s your take on Glass? Do you agree with the current projection that he will be drafted sixth overall, or is this too high? Further, what kind of career are you predicting for him in the NHL? Share your thoughts in the comments section.