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2011 Cap Hit: $1,150,000
2012 Status: Signed a three-year extension for $3.45 million on Monday, June 4, 2012
Cody McLeod is a pest. His toothless smile as he taunts the other team is a priceless image. He'll drop the gloves with anyone if it will give his team a spark or the other team a message. He hits, he yaps, he gets in your face. This is his role, and he's damn good at it. I could list for you all the benchmarks he reached this season, but you probably already know them. They are mostly about penalty minutes, unsurprisingly.That's Cody. He makes no excuses, he gives no apologies. He just does what he does.
After a stellar campaign in 2008-2009 when he scored 15 goals and had 5 assists, and an assist-laden season in 2009-2010 (7g, 11a), McLeod's production dropped. Following a dismal 2010-2011 campaign (who didn't have a dismal 2010-2011 season?), he bounced back some with his 6 goals and 5 assists. And though his game performance sometimes leaves something to be desired, his character and effort never do.
McLeod is a team-first player who gives all he can to his teammates—in games, practices and, from all accounts, the locker room. Cody McLeod exemplifies traits the Avalanche covet, and his character and heart can't ever be questioned. This is why the Avalanche re-signed him.
Cole's Take: Tough for me to grade Cody McLeod this year, to be honest I can’t remember a whole lot about his season, and I’m not sure if that’s a good or a bad thing. Good in that he made fewer mistakes defensively, but I can't remember any spectacular hits or fights from this year.
It’s looking more and more like McLeod’s 15 goal season was an anomaly, but I’m nonetheless excited to see him back with the Avs for three more years. This young Avs roster is filled with hard workers, but very few guys who are as in your face aggressive as McLeod. He plays without fear, is a leader whether or not he’s wearing the assistant captain’s letter and he seems to hate the Minnesota Wild, for that I’ll give him a solid B. Can’t wait to see the Highlander next year.
2012 Outlook: McLeod will continue to play the role he has played since he first signed with the Avalanche in 2006. More production offensively and fewer unnecessary penalties would be nice, but Cody is who he is and that's fine by me. His return certainly means less opportunity for guys like Brad Malone and Patrick Bordeleau, but their futures in the NHL are still unknown, particularly with Bordy.