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Last season, Jonathan did some excellent work on qualcomp on the Springfield Falcons and a fantastic scouting report on Cody Wild.
In those pieces, he had some questions that remain unanswered.
Cody Wild is something of a conundrum. He was in the ECHL and a healthy scratch under Truitt, despite decent numbers, but he was used increasingly by Daum in the second half of the season (albeit against lighter competition)
You'll note that Taylor Chorney and Wild played virtually the same level of competition and Chorney clearly couldn't handle the work. Wild struggled, but showed himself to be much stronger against the same level of players.
and from the scouting report:
Jeff Truitt likely had good reasons for scratching Wild and then relegating him to the ECHL, but it’s extremely difficult to see what they are at this distance. Wild was regularly partnered with either Peckham or Roy against tough opponents, and unlike many other players on the roster, he wasn’t getting killed while doing so. Statistically, he’s been an excellent player for years...
A look at their stats from last year side-by-side is revealing in that they played virtually the same minutes and had similar numbers except in one glaring stat:
Fast forward to 2009-2010. Cody Wild began the season in Springfield as a healthy scratch for the first five games. After Taylor Chorney's callup, he was moved into the lineup. Like Chorney, he has spent his time on the ice shuffling between the 2nd and 3rd pairings and playing on the power play. Like last year, Chorney couldn't tread water, and Wild did a little bit better.
Chorney's numbers from his time in Springfield
Five points in four games, but four of them on the power play. He was a minus four through four games, playing on the second and third pairings.
Wild drew in for game six following the callup and has played in eight games since then:
Four points in eight games, three of them on the power play, and he's a minus three through eight games, in the same role.
For the last two years Taylor Chorney has been buried at evens in Springfield, yet continues to get an organizational push. Cody Wild, in the same role, has done a bit better than Chorney, but has endured healthy scratches and demotions to the ECHL. I've not read of any scandals related to Wild, I can't find any articles about being uncoachable, I don't see any mention of Wild being some horrendous locker room cancer. What is the mysterious reason for the differing treatment that the two receive?
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Special thanks to Jennifer Bock for the photo of Cody WIld in action against the Albany River Rats.