Cody glass is heading to pittsburgh
Cody Glass is the newest member of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman broke the news on Tuesday that the Nashville Predators traded the 25-year-old, along with a 2025 third round pick and a 2026 sixth round pick, to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for 23-year-old forward Jordan Frasca.
Glass, the Winnipeg product, was drafted sixth overall by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 NHL Draft, officially becoming its first-ever draft pick in franchise history. After playing for the Golden Knights from 2019-2021, where the 205-pound centreman grabbed nine goals, 13 assists, and 22 points in 66 games, he was acquired by the Nashville Predators in a three-way deal. In return for Glass, Vegas received Nolan Patrick from the Philadelphia Flyers, who was the second-overall pick in the same draft class.
After spending the majority of the 2021-2022 season in the American Hockey League with the Milwaukee Admirals, the Winnipegger finally put his stamp on the NHL, racking up 14 goals and 21 assists for 35 points in 72 games with the Preds. Glass’s efforts for his team, especially toward the end of the season, were a big reason why Nashville almost squeaked into the 2023 postseason.
Before the Jets eventually locked down the final post-season spot in the Western Conference, there was an intense three-team race for the eighth spot with the Calgary Flames and Predators. Although Glass and his squad came up short by three points, it was certainly a big step in the right direction for his career moving forward. If that wasn’t positive enough of a note, Glass also represented team Canada at the 2023 World Championships, where he tallied four assists and helped the red-and-white capture gold, winning its 28th tournament title.
As a result of his spectacular play, the Predators decided to reward Glass, signing him to a two-year, $5 million contract extension.
With confidence at an all-time high heading into the 2023-2024 season, Glass’ future in Music City appeared very favourable; however, nothing promising ever came to fruition. In 41 appearances with Nashville last season, Glass only put up six goals and seven assists for 13 points. And when the Predators qualified for the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Glass failed to crack the lineup and spent the entire time in the press box.
Although it may be disappointing things didn’t work out for Glass in Smashville, another opportunity elsewhere may be exactly what he needed, especially considering the Predators' big splashes in free agency. After signing elite forwards Jonathan Marchessualt and Steven Stamkos, a hall of famer to be, Glass’s opportunity to contribute to the lineup would have been very limited. Now with the re-tooling Penguins, Glass should be provided with plenty of opportunity to prove himself and maybe even push himself into a top-six role, shifting from the middle of the ice to the right wing.
In addition to Glass, some other moves Pittsburgh has made this offseason include trading for veteran forward Kevin Hayes, signing forward Anthony Beauvillier and defenceman Matt Grzelyck. The most interesting aspect of the Penguins' roster, though, is their age. The Penguins currently rank the highest in the entire NHL for having the highest average age, coming in at over 31 years. It’s been a common gripe for this Penguins squad in the past, but it is a valid point.
Over the past two seasons, the Pens have looked significantly slower because of the high number of veterans on their team. With forward Jake Guentzel now off the roster, the addition of Glass will inject some much-needed youth and speed into their lineup.
Once arriving in Pennsylvania, Glass will also be met with a couple of familiar faces to make him a little more comfortable in Pittsburgh. While playing with the Portland Winterhawks in the WHL, Glass was teammates with John Ludvig, a former draft pick of the Florida Panthers in 2019. Glass also knows Pens newly-signed forward Anthony Beauvillier, who would have gotten to skate with him after being acquired from the Predators at the 2024 trade deadline.
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