Prospect Info: Dylan Cozens, C/RW, 2019 7th overall, Lethbridge (WHL) --- Signed to ELC

[Chainshot]

 

[Chainshot]

 

[Chainshot]

I forgot how much like like Addison...

 

[Chainshot]

Some amazing scenery at home:

 

[Buffaloed]

He's the anti-Grigorenko

 

[Chainshot]

Hlinka highlights:



Edgework around 2:09 reminds me of LaFontaine. The low stance and barreling into the slot....

 

[MayDayMayDay]

The more I read, the more I like this pick. I wanted Botts to get bold with Pods or Caufield, but getting Cozens at 7 is good value. He seems like a surefire NHL forward, and maybe even someone who can push the effort level of the rest of the top six down the line.

 

[itwasaforwardpass]

 

[Chainshot]

“Coles notes feedback from a few NHL Scouts regarding Cozen’s interviews wasn’t very positive. I have not been as high on his game as others going back to last season. To me he’ll be a winger in the NHL and I never felt that he has the hockey sense that other players at the top of the draft have. Good player, but not enough to keep up with the top 10 guys. I’m not the only one of our Scouts who feels this way.” - HP Scout, Mark Edwards, June 2019

 

[Chainshot]

"But the scouts said!" is a really bad counter argument.

Everyone knows the scouts success rate is barely if at all better than the random's fans. The scouts are wrong all the time. Look at past drafts

The "take the best guy by aggregate ranking" research that showed the higher hit rate of doing that rather than what teams actually do remains one of the more amusing moments of NHL talent evaluation. Team's outsmart themselves regularly.

 

[wunderpanda]

 

[Martinez89]

Dylan welcome in Buffalo.

Maybe I was too critical on him, he could be good fit for holes in our lineup. But he is still more middle-6 player in my eyes.

Only one thing makes me so angry, Trevor Zegras was still on the board.

Pass on Zegras and draft Cozens is the same feeling as I had with Alex Nylander draft.


Wish only the best to Dylan but now I feel only disappoitment, again and again.

 

[Tatre]

Seems like a good kid, fine (not the most fun) pick. I wish him to do well for us, and see how he gets along at dev camp.

 

[littletonhockeycoach]

Overall, Cozen is a quality pick. Was he the best pick at the 7th position? I personally don't think so. But he's not going to be a bust or wasted selection either. I like what I've read about his work ethic. The fact that he's from the Yukon tells me he's hungry and likely not spoiled. I also like the WHL and the style of hockey they play.

We'll be able to run the comparison sheets in a couple of seasons which will tell us just how good or bad our scouting staff actually is. (It's really not the players fault where scouts and evaluators rank, place and pick them. So how about we don't blame the player....?)

I also see a lot of negativity expressed about Dylan's hockey IQ and awareness. Heck, he just turned 18 this past February. Bottom line, he's been evaluated mostly on his play as a 17 and even 16 yr old. Let's give him some time to see how he develops and improves his awareness and acumen in that area before rendering judgement. And consider the coaching he's received and will in the near future as well.

Given what we just watched this playoff season, someone with size, superb skating ability and a never quit attitude is going to be in high demand. And Buffalo's farm system doesn't appear to be overflowing with those attributes. My biggest concern is that the Sabres might be guilty of drafting by perceived need (roster taken as a whole... Mitts being gifted the #2C slot) rather than taking the best player available.

 

[Club]

What do you guys think his floor/ceiling and everything in between could be? Just generally curious.

 

[tsujimoto74]

Hlinka highlights:



Edgework around 2:09 reminds me of LaFontaine. The low stance and barreling into the slot....

That last play (going forward off the draw and pushing through the D for a breakaway) was a real nice one. Bet he and Eichel will have fun practicing that against one another down the line.

Cozens definitely has some nice tools to work with. You can see the great skating, the drive to get himself and pucks to the net, and a solid set of hands to go with it. When you wrap it all up in a 6'3" frame, there's plenty to like there.

 

[Buffaloed]

Did we really just pass on Mike Bossy to draft Ric Seiling?

Ric Seiling Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com
Seiling was actually similar player to Cozens though he didn't play center. He was a high effort winger with good speed who played at both ends of the ice. He was one of the taller players in those days. He never did quite fill out.

 

[Ace]

I wanted them to address the bottom six...but not like this. Not like this.

 

[Rasmus CacOlainen]

Not really a fan, he has physical and skating tools, but I just don't see the high end skill that I want to see i na top10 pick. I hope he grows into a good player, but if we were going C, I would have much rather preferred the profile of Zegras. Let's hope I'm wrong.

 

[jc17]

After sleeping on it, still not thrilled but much less grumpy

 

[MayDay]

I think all the Tage Thompson and other underwhelming comps are a little ridiculous.

There must be a reason that so many draft and prospect analysts had Cozens ranked in the 3-5 range. It’s not like the Sabres went off the board here.

 

[GOALOFSSON]

Looks like we got two guys who are great skaters and can both take the puck into the offensive zone/exit ours. Gonna be good off the rush.

 

[truthbluth]

Yup. This is the one that soured me on Cozens. Such poor angles. So soft on the puck. Watch literally any Krebs shit by shift and then try to convince me that 3.5” of height matters.

 

[old kummelweck]

Loves the wrist shot. He also reminds me a little of Reinhart.

 

[Rasmus CacOlainen]

Yup. This is the one that soured me on Cozens. Such poor angles. So soft on the puck. Watch literally any Krebs **** by shift and then try to convince me that 3.5” of height matters.

Same here, I see nothing there that warrants 7OA pick.