Player Discussion Dylan Cozens

[DrEasy]

Healthy Norris > healthy Cozens > injured Norris

This year with a healthy Norris we were better at suppressing shots, generally not getting stuck in our zone as much. Offensively the current version of a healthy Norris doesn't provide the game-changing blast from his office anymore, so it's probably a tie between him and Cozens.

None of this matters if Norris isn't going to be on the ice though, so for us the trade works well. Not to mention the 2nd round pick we got, and the lower cap hit.

 

[Burrowsaurus]

Healthy Norris > healthy Cozens > injured Norris

This year with a healthy Norris we were better at suppressing shots, generally not getting stuck in our zone as much. Offensively the current version of a healthy Norris doesn't provide the game-changing blast from his office anymore, so it's probably a tie between him and Cozens.

None of this matters if Norris isn't going to be on the ice though, so for us the trade works well. Not to mention the 2nd round pick we got, and the lower cap hit.

Yeah. I would rather cozens than no Norris at all.

But man. Cozens has some massive warts in his game. Hopefully a strong offseason fixes some of them

 

[Gil Gunderson]

This team really just needs a serviceable 2C so we can make use of our centre depth and have Pinto on the 3rd line. As long as they stay healthy, we have that. Our record for the last three years has been extremely good when we have our top 3 centres healthy.

If by some miracle one of our prospects develops into a 2C (or Pinto/Greig progress into a 2C and we get another 3C), then great because I think Cozens would work even better on the wing.

 

[Bjornar Moxnes]

Cozens is much better in transition and keeping the puck in the ozone than Norris. Norris is definitely superior defensively and would have made defending leads easier. But, with Norris, I feel we'd have less leads. Batherson and Perrons offence can absolutely be attributed to playing with Cozens.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Healthy Norris > healthy Cozens > injured Norris

This year with a healthy Norris we were better at suppressing shots, generally not getting stuck in our zone as much. Offensively the current version of a healthy Norris doesn't provide the game-changing blast from his office anymore, so it's probably a tie between him and Cozens.

None of this matters if Norris isn't going to be on the ice though, so for us the trade works well. Not to mention the 2nd round pick we got, and the lower cap hit.

Post 3 shoulder injuries
Norris's strengths are less like a top 2C because cant carry the puck and distribute it. Its too bad they never tried him on the wing like at all.
He is good on draws, he can defend and pk, he can score and is a north south player. Not great on the wall and not great in puck battles.

I don't think he is as good as Cozens centering the 2nd line and I don't think he is as good as Pinto in a shut down role.. but he is probably closer there.
Cozens has inconsistencies but his A game is pretty good.

Projecting him without those injuries and set backs .. I think that version of Norris would be considerably better than what remains.

Seems like a really nice guy.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

Healthy Norris > healthy Cozens > injured Norris

This year with a healthy Norris we were better at suppressing shots, generally not getting stuck in our zone as much. Offensively the current version of a healthy Norris doesn't provide the game-changing blast from his office anymore, so it's probably a tie between him and Cozens.

None of this matters if Norris isn't going to be on the ice though, so for us the trade works well. Not to mention the 2nd round pick we got, and the lower cap hit.

Even when healthy, Norris didn’t really become a decent 5 on 5 player until this year. Cozens has his warts but he’s still younger and I think his offensive ceiling is higher than Norris’.

Norris’ defence honestly wasn’t anything to write home about until recently.

 

[DrEasy]

Even when healthy, Norris didn’t really become a decent 5 on 5 player until this year. Cozens has his warts but he’s still younger and I think his offensive ceiling is higher than Norris’.

Norris’ defence honestly wasn’t anything to write home about until recently.

I agree to some extent. I think Norris has had to reinvent his game, possibly with help from coaching, to play with his post-surgery limitations. And so my comparisons are all based on Norris' play this year, not the way he used to play, i.e. when he was more of an offensive dynamo rather than a defensively responsible player who can't take a pass and has lost some bite on his shots.