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

[Archie Lee]

Ive been wanting to do a littler evaluation of some of these stats along side the eye test.

Does the article hypothesize the reason for the dropoff, or does it simply state that his numbers got worse?

I really think analytics in hockey is interesting, but feel like sometimes a lot of the popular people in this domain are content to pretty much say "x player got better/worse based on y metric" and sort of leave it there instead of trying to figure out why

I don’t think Goldman does a deep dive into the why, but my take is that the underlying reason is that post-2022/2023 we asked our young players to start playing a more complete game without properly supporting them with veterans who can assist. Thus we have a group of kids, Cozens at the fore-front, who have next to no on-ice support. The defence are talented, but largely one dimensional and young. Same for the top-9 forwards. Thus far, the efforts to get Cozens’s game going have amounted to trying him with different wingers who are younger than him. Goldman suggests that giving Cozens a veteran winger who plays a heavy forecheck and can take care of the physical side of the game would help him; also a defensive Defenceman could help.

Cozens, like all of our young players, was asked to do too much too soon without the needed veteran support. His game is collapsing under the weight of unreasonable expectations.

 

[MOGlLNY]

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6018346/2024/12/26/sabres-dylan-cousins-decline-options/

Not good, Bob.

Fantastic article by Shayna. Although Cozens has been my whipping boy going back to last year, I agree that now is not the time to move him unless you can get a significant upgrade. It would be desperate and selling at a likely all time low/

The ideal move (we all f***ing knew this in the offseason) is to get another winger for the top 6.

Ive been wanting to do a littler evaluation of some of these stats along side the eye test.

Does the article hypothesize the reason for the dropoff, or does it simply state that his numbers got worse?

I really think analytics in hockey is interesting, but feel like sometimes a lot of the popular people in this domain are content to pretty much say "x player got better/worse based on y metric" and sort of leave it there instead of trying to figure out why

It’s a very deep dive on both sides showing video of where he struggles. Use the site 12ft.io to bypass the block

 

[Fjordy]

And what kind of wingers does Cozens need to start playing normally and scoring a lot of points again? Or maybe he should become a winger himself?

 

[Der Jaeger]

Great article. Reinforces the idea that Buffalo needs help at center. I have always thought Cozens was a winger. I think that position change would highlight a lot of the things he does really well.

 

[dickiedunnwrotethis]

Great article. Reinforces the idea that Buffalo needs help at center. I have always thought Cozens was a winger. I think that position change would highlight a lot of the things he does really well.

Hundy P. As you said, a change to wing could highlight what he has - at times - shown the ability to do well but also help disguise what he can't.

If they have the courage to admit they were wrong and permanently make the position change (and Cozens can show that he can come close to fulfilling a 7 million dollar winger role) then I think that greatly simplifies what roster changes need to be made. Trade one of Power/Byram and trade Peterka. Those pieces should go a long way to finding a legit 2C and a partner for Byram/Power and maybe solve the roster imbalance that's been plaguing the Sabres for years.

 

[Fjordy]

Great article. Reinforces the idea that Buffalo needs help at center. I have always thought Cozens was a winger. I think that position change would highlight a lot of the things he does really well.

 

[MOGlLNY]

Zegras sucks - sorry

 

[Fjordy]

Zegras sucks - sorry

Why? Playmaker center for a line with Cozens on the wing.

 

[OkimLom]

Zegras sucks - sorry

I think he's skilled and has the ability to be impactful. But I don't think hes a good fit, so

Zegras sucks - Nah.
Zegras is not a good fit - Absolutely.

 

[Fjordy]

I think he's skilled and has the ability to be impactful. But I don't think hes a good fit, so

Zegras sucks - Nah.
Zegras is not a good fit - Absolutely.

Who good fit for us? We lack players with high IQ and playmakers, at least Zegras has it, many top 6 C have NMC/NTC or they are not available. It is difficult to find this, especially proven ones.

 

[MOGlLNY]

I think he's skilled and has the ability to be impactful. But I don't think hes a good fit, so

Zegras sucks - Nah.
Zegras is not a good fit - Absolutely.

Sorry let me be clear - Zegras sucks for what we are trying to accomplish

 

[Fjordy]

Sorry let me be clear - Zegras sucks for what we are trying to accomplish

Aren't we looking for a center?

 

[Chainshot]

Guys, not every thread needs to be a general roster thread.

 

[CaliSabresfan24]

Aren't we looking for a center?

We are but at the same time, this roster can not keep getting younger. We need proven NHL veterans.

 

[Irie]

The ideal move (we all f***ing knew this in the offseason) is to get another winger for the top 6.

I think the problem is that it seems just about every team in the league was looking for a top six winger last off-season, and zero were traded. That leaves moves like a huge UFA overpay for Zucker as a poorman's solution to the problem everyone knew existed.

Any trade that would have brought in a top 6 winger would have more than likely been a huge loss value wise as it was very much a seller's market. Giving up multiple high-end assets for a 2nd line wing would be very bad business.

This team needs a consistent game changing play driver in their top 6, but those players are rarely available, and often have NMCs which makes them even tougher to find for small market teams like the Sabres.

Everyone wants the team to acquire a forward that can carry this team to the next level, but if we are being realistic, that piece will likely have to come from the farm or through the draft.

 

[Fjordy]

I think the problem is that it seems just about every team in the league was looking for a top six winger last off-season, and zero were traded. That leaves moves like a huge UFA overpay for Zucker as a poorman's solution to the problem everyone knew existed.

Any trade that would have brought in a top 6 winger would have more than likely been a huge loss value wise as it was very much a seller's market. Giving up multiple high-end assets for a 2nd line wing would be very bad business.

This team needs a consistent game changing play driver in their top 6, but those players are rarely available, and often have NMCs which makes them even tougher to find for small market teams like the Sabres.

Everyone wants the team to acquire a forward that can carry this team to the next level, but if we are being realistic, that piece will likely have to come from the farm or through the draft.

Well you had Ehlers and Necas. Necas just break out this season, maybe they should have overpaid a little? You have no excuse for not adding a top 6 forward in four years, it ended up biting us in the ass and we barely had a second line this season. Why do other teams add guys like that? Zito added Reinhart, Tkachuk, then added Verhaeghe for free and he break out. Bennett, cheap and he break out. I disagree that you only do it through other smart GMs disproving your theory. Fitzgerald added Meier early. Montreal added Laine (okay, he didn't suit us), Caps added PLD as a cap dump and he's their 2C and doing well. Not that I'm a fan of PLD with his weird situation, but Cozens was playing on PLD's wing at WC and it worked. You can't add a legit top 6 forward for some unknown reason for so many years, look for potential top 6 forwards like others do, and don't cry about taxes and palm trees, it's a disgrace No, you can't build a team on kids and a defense this bad, that's why Adams is going to be fired.

 

[sabremike]

Well you had Ehlers and Necas. Necas just break out this season, maybe they should have overpaid a little? You have no excuse for not adding a top 6 forward in four years, it ended up biting us in the ass and we barely had a second line this season. Why do other teams add guys like that? Zito added Reinhart, Tkachuk, then added Verhaeghe for free and he break out. Bennett, cheap and he break out. I disagree that you only do it through other smart GMs disproving your theory. Fitzgerald added Meier early. Montreal added Laine (okay, he didn't suit us), Caps added PLD as a cap dump and he's their 2C and doing well. Not that I'm a fan of PLD with his weird situation, but Cozens was playing on PLD's wing at WC and it worked. You can't add a legit top 6 forward for some unknown reason for so many years, look for potential top 6 forwards like others do, and don't cry about taxes and palm trees, it's a disgrace No, you can't build a team on kids and a defense this bad, that's why Adams is going to be fired.

Adams literally attempted to build/construct a roster in a way that has never worked in the history of the sport and SURPRISE it failed in catastrophic fashion. Cozens' career is one of the many casualties of that incompetent oaf's stupidity.