Player Discussion Dylan Cozens

[BondraTime]

He fits this team like a glove, and it seems he’s thriving with the way the team plays. He’s showed more emotion and bite in these two games than he has the past 100 in Buffalo.

Change of scenery was needed, big time.

 

[GCK]

I like his zone entries.

 

[SlapJack]

He brings a different element with size and net drive with skill and some jam. I wasn't happy with the trade when it happened, and reading the Sabres fans opinions on him was a bit scary, but it's growing on me quickly.

 

[WORLDSTARHIPHOP]

he's good in the neutral zone, noticing really neat plays to progress the puck

 

[Sun God Nika]

He has an average release but it’s sneaky and he isn’t scared to shoot

 

[Micklebot]

He fits this team like a glove, and it seems he’s thriving with the way the team plays. He’s showed more emotion and bite in these two games than he has the past 100 in Buffalo.

Change of scenery was needed, big time.

Still riding the adrenaline of a new team, but so far so good.

 

[Stutzlaaaa]

Still too early to tell if he will keep up the way he played his 2 first. but we can see that he is a perfect match for our high tempo agressive forcheck.I think like Brady he is a player that play his best when his engaged by hits or emotionnaly. If he can be a clutch player for us on top of being decent top6 center we are set to have one of the hardest team to play against.

Pinto and Grieg on top of the actual top 6 is just gravvyy. Add to that Yak in 2 years and we really look like contenders for Stanley

 

[bicboi64]

8 goals away from 20, c'mon Dylan!

 

[CorrectOpinion]

I loved Tootoo. Man I want to see more First Nations and Indigenous players in the NHL.

Hammer is Metis.

 

[Tuna99]

Trevor Linden vibes - dudes going to be 65 points and 25-30 goals every year automatic.

How clutch are his first 2 points?! Not sure but that was probably the biggest NHL goal he’s ever scored. He looked like a really really really happy kid on Christmas.

 

[TeamRenzo]

Trevor Linden vibes - dudes going to be 65 points and 25-30 goals every year automatic.

How clutch are his first 2 points?! Not sure but that was probably the biggest NHL goal he’s ever scored. He looked like a really really really happy kid on Christmas.

The whole team looked happy that he had scored

 

[Bileur]

Interesting to hear him specifically say it feels nice to be appreciated and cheered for and how happy he is to be in Ottawa post game.

From that and the Sabres fans reactions he certainly seemed like the whipping boy in Buffalo.

A fresh start could really do him some good.

 

[Silencio]

Every player Buffalo trades goes on to win the cup, so start planning the parade.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

 

[Tuna99]

Every player Buffalo trades goes on to win the cup, so start planning the parade.

Two parades - one for Ullmark and one for D-Coz?

 

[Senscore]

This diagram looks like the back of my pants after watching the last 2 minutes of the game

 

[Silencio]

This diagram looks like the back of my pants after watching the last 2 minutes of the game

Seriously....THAT's the colour they went with?

 

[Masked]

Seriously....THAT's the colour they went with?

Representative of what it's true value is.

 

[OD99]

That’s not a consensus opinion that I have seen.

Me neither, and clear downgrade is an overstatement regardless.

The addition of the 2nd round pick does indicate he had lower value, overall. I think a 2nd rounder would be a lot just for the cap differential?

 

[Joeyjoejoe]

Remind me to never trust a Sabres fan scouting report ever again. I guess being forced to watch Sabres hockey for the past 10 years rots your brain and you’re unable to make distinctions between a good or bad hockey players.

Sabres fans told me he is soft and doesn’t use his size. All I saw was him finishing his hits and wining puck battles down low and going straight to the net.

Sabres fans said he has low hockey IQ. If that’s low hockey IQ, then I feel sorry for what Norris is gonna have to endure. Dude looks easily to be one of our smarter hockey players, he knows where to be, reads the play well, has the patience and vision to make subtle little plays that you sometimes see from a veteran like Giroux.

Sabres fans said he lacked vision and playmaking. He’s somehow the 2nd best passer on the team behind Stutzle. I am really surprised by his poise and the ability to create space for himself whether it’s using his body to protect the puck or his vision to find the open man. He makes these subtle little plays that go a long way to sustain pressure or to alleviate pressure in the D zone. His neutral zone play and zone entry is 2nd only to Stutzle. Great to have another option like that.

Really surprised with how much he stood out for me. I love Norris but this is a clear upgrade. Dudes vision, hockey IQ, size and speed is a dangerous combo.

 

[mjd1001]

I like his zone entries.

I live in the Niagara region so I get bombarded with coverage of mostly the Leafs and the Sabres. I probably have watched more games with those 2 teams than I have had the chance to of all the other teams combined. I post alot about the Leafs and Sabres because that is who I see the most.

With that said my personal opinion of Cozens is he has 3 major strengths: 1. His zone entries as you said. 2. He will almost always put forth effort. The moments of him not skating hard to completing checks are few and far between. 3. He can be a tenacious forchecker.

As others have said already, what to look out for are his 3 major weaknesses: 1.) He chases the puck and gets out of position. 2.) he takes shots when he has linemates open because he doesn't always see them. 3.) His effort over-rides his hockey sense and sometimes he'll finish that check after the puck is long gone and take himself out of the play.

I think in the long run he will be best suited at wing. He LOVES going into the corners to battle for the puck in both zones. As a center, he will leave spots open for opposing players to walk into. As a winger, that is what you WANT him to do.

As far as the 'hockey IQ', yeah, it IS an issue. Not so much "hockey IQ" but he is single minded and doesn't always recognize everything around him and is pretty much 'all gas-no breaks' with his decision making. Again, a strength as a winger, as a Centre? not so much, he'll need a responsible winger to help him out.

I have also noticed one thing that a lot of other people on the Sabres board seem to miss. The first 2 games his minutes have been limited. He doesn't make nearly as many mistakes when you don't overwhelm him with ice time. Push him out there too much and it can be an issue. He seems to be a much better play around 15-16 minutes per game and a much worse at 19-20 per game.

Watch his analytics, not just over a couple games but for the rest of the season and into next. His Fenwick, Corsi, high danger chances for-vs-against and shots for-vs-against. Those are the areas that I think shows he is much more effective at wing than at Centre.

 

[PlayOn]

Me neither, and clear downgrade is an overstatement regardless.

The addition of the 2nd round pick does indicate he had lower value, overall. I think a 2nd rounder would be a lot just for the cap differential?

I think that part is more a leverage thing. Adams is under major pressure to fix Buffalo, and he’s sitting on picks/prospects. Staios probably knows in the end a second won’t stop the deal so he can push knowing they really like Norris.

 

[SpezDispenser]

He's aggressive, it's what the teams needs. You had Chuck and Greig and perhaps Perron being the only real aggressive players who will run to the blue paint and stand there, now you have Chuck, Greig, Cozens and Zetterlund - all of whom have shown they f***ing live there.