Player Discussion Dylan Cozens, C/RW, 2019 7th overall Part 2

[MOGlLNY]

I’m glad we traded for Byram, it was the correct move. The question is did we trade the wrong center to do it

 

[BFLO]

After he recovered from getting his bell rung early in season, he really seemed to pick it up to finish off the year. What I saw at the beginning was a kid that thought they were anointed 'a playoff team'. I think the contract pressure may have been there for him too. I don't think anyone would doubt he's a competitor, so I'm expecting he comes out of the gate flying this year.

I know this is an old post to reply to, but with Cozens starting off so terribly and people bumping the thread, it's still the 3rd most recent post.

I don't see someone who "picked it up" to finish off the year. I see someone who was awful all year and continued to be awful in the final 2 months and had a random 3 point night in the last game of the season.

 

[Jim Bob]

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5843094/2024/10/17/nhl-players-2024-25-pressure/

Seven NHL players under the most pressure to prove their value in 2024-25​

Dylan Cozens, Buffalo Sabres​

It’s been 13 seasons since Buffalo last made the playoffs. Sabres fans are sick of being told they have a promising core or an elite prospect pipeline; they want meaningful on-ice progress.

The biggest reason the Sabres regressed last year, following a breakout 2022-23 season where they finished one point back of the playoffs, is that their offense fell off a cliff. Buffalo fell from being the league’s third-highest goal-scoring team in 2022-23 to ranking 23rd in goals for last year.

The Sabres won’t surge back up the standings until their top forwards return to the level they showed two seasons ago, starting with Tage Thompson and Dylan Cozens.

Cozens, 23, exploded for 31 goals and 68 points in 2022-23 but dropped to 47 points last season. He’s also yet to develop into an above-average two-way driver, at least according to the underlying numbers. There’s extra pressure for him to reach his potential as a high-end top-six center because he’s got six years left at a $7.1 million cap hit.

Cozens hasn’t registered a single point through five games. He needs to come alive as a key offensive driver if the Sabres have any shot of climbing out of their early season hole.

Darnell, Nurse, Alexandar Georgiev, Jacob Trouba, Elias Pettersson, Trevor Zegras, and Chandler Stephenson are the others in the article.

 

[Fjordy]

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5843094/2024/10/17/nhl-players-2024-25-pressure/

Darnell, Nurse, Alexandar Georgiev, Jacob Trouba, Elias Pettersson, Trevor Zegras, and Chandler Stephenson are the others in the article.

At least Zegras has two points in three games.

 

[CaliSabresfan24]

I’m glad we traded for Byram, it was the correct move. The question is did we trade the wrong center to do it

The one we traded was an actual center and the best player on your team while the other one still hasn't proved he's a center but got a 7X7 deal because Adams gonna Adams

 

[5 Minute Major]

I’ll go against the grain here….outside of that absolute disaster of a play that led to Pittsburgh’s 2nd goal, I think Cozens has played well with the exception of burying the puck.

 

[Chainshot]

I’ll go against the grain here….outside of that absolute disaster of a play that led to Pittsburgh’s 2nd goal, I think Cozens has played well with the exception of burying the puck.

He's getting shots and chances, things aren't going in. It would much more concerning if he wasn't getting either. I'm reminded of people railing on Reinhart in seasons' past when he too was still getting quality looks and dangerous shots. Worry when there is nothing coming off a guys stick, like say... Jack Quinn. In the meantime, it's frustrating but Cozens is at least getting opportunity.

 

[jc17]

He's getting shots and chances, things aren't going in. It would much more concerning if he wasn't getting either. I'm reminded of people railing on Reinhart in seasons' past when he too was still getting quality looks and dangerous shots. Worry when there is nothing coming off a guys stick, like say... Jack Quinn. In the meantime, it's frustrating but Cozens is at least getting opportunity.

Production is much less a concern than the bone head plays for me.

Especially with how bad the pp has been I just can't stomach continuing to give minutes to a guy so turnover prone. It's not recent either, been multiple years of over handling and dumb passes.

Adam's already talked about cozens needing to care less about points. He still might over handle a bit in the o zone, but it seems like all we really need is for him to simplify things in transition, eliminate blind passes, and 75% of his issues will be solved

 

[Club]

I really hope he picks it up. After that fight a couple seasons (?) ago it seems like his confidence just never returned.

 

[dire wolf]

I’ll go against the grain here….outside of that absolute disaster of a play that led to Pittsburgh’s 2nd goal, I think Cozens has played well with the exception of burying the puck.

I agree with this. He's looked OK to me the last couple of games and had some chances. He'll regress to the mean.