Cody Glass Looks Ahead to Earning Coveted NHL Spot with Nashville

The NHL's offseason is now officially underway, but for Predators forward Cody Glass, the work has already begun.

After taking just one week off following the conclusion of Nashville's season, the 23-year-old has been back on the ice in his native Winnipeg and returned to his training regimen on Monday with a new contract in advance of the 2022-23 campaign.
Glass, who entered the offseason as a restricted free agent, officially put pen to paper with the Predators on Friday after accepting his qualifying offer and signing a one-year, $874,125 deal. It was another step forward for the young center, who is in the midst of a pivotal summer for his development.
"It was nice to get that done and so I can focus on my training and getting back to where I need to be," Glass said. "I love being in Nashville, and the organization has been really good to me. With the city, the fans and everything in between, it's been a lot of fun and I hope to do it for a full season next year."
The 6-foot-3, 206-pound forward saw glimpses of what the SMASHVILLE experience is all about during the 2021-22 season - earning a spot on the team's opening night roster and suiting up for eight regular-season contests - but it was in Milwaukee where Glass shined.
He tallied 62 points (14g-48a) in 66 games for the Admirals in his third full professional season, helping lead Nashville's AHL affiliate to the divisional final round of the Calder Cup Playoffs. Glass found himself among the AHL's leaders in assists (fifth) and points (tied for 15th) and was Milwaukee's team leader in both categories while also playing a significant role on special teams. Statistically speaking, it was perhaps the finest season by a Milwaukee player in a decade - his 62 points were the most by an Admirals skater since 2011-12; his 48 assists were the most since Cal O'Reilly's 56 in 2008-09.
After a knee injury and the subsequent recovery hampered him for parts of the previous two campaigns, the season Glass put together was inherently valuable for his development. The Predators were watching and loved what they saw.
"I think this past year for Cody in general was really important for his career," Predators Head Coach John Hynes said. "What he really needed was to play big minutes, get his game conditioning up and get his competitiveness up. His stint in Milwaukee was really important for him to get his game back and be a leader on a team and play in a lot of important situations."
It also was huge for Glass' confidence. While the goal for any hockey player is to compete in the NHL, he used his time in the AHL to his advantage, crediting a mixture of his coaching staff, solid support system and time to work on his game as reasons for frequently finding his name on the scoresheet.
"I knew at the beginning of the year my game wasn't where I wanted it to be but playing a lot of minutes and getting a lot of opportunities - going through those bumps and bruises - it gave me back the confidence that I can play at a high level," Glass said. "I know what it takes now and feel like I showed that consistently throughout the AHL season and a little bit in the NHL."
While Glass has taken an all-business, looking-ahead approach to this offseason, the Predators, including Assistant GM, Admirals GM and Director of Player Development Scott Nichol, have taken some time to reflect on the prospect's first season with the organization, one that saw him earn an opportunity to skate in Games 3-4 of the Predators' first-round playoff series against the eventual Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche.
"He worked hard and at the end of the year he earned some games in Nashville, which was fantastic," Nichol said. "Everybody knows the skillset that he has and his power play and playmaking ability, but I thought on the other side of the puck - his faceoffs, his 200-foot game and just his compete and his one-on-one battles in the corner - he looked a lot stronger than at the beginning of the year and I think he just felt more comfortable."
The Predators intend to give Glass every opportunity to make their NHL roster next season. Should he do so, he would join a squad that was the second-youngest among 2022 playoff teams and has developed an identity that Glass is more than willing to be part of.
"With this core, when you look at it, I feel like we could make a deep run, and that starts with the young guys and old guys coming together and producing," Glass said. "Knowing what the coaching staff wants, I feel like I have a great idea of what I need to do to be able to be in the lineup full-time next year. I want to go into training camp in great shape and be there to prove I belong and can make an impact on the team."