BonHoonLayneCornell
Registered User
The chemistry with Batherson and Perron is very encouraging. Don't know that we saw much of that out of Norris, even though he scores plenty on his own.
Smaller salary and an asset too.
Smaller salary and an asset too.
We saved about $0.800 M per year and received Dennis Gilbert and a 2nd round draft pick in 2026.
I like Norris more as a player too but I think Cozens is a better fit for the style we play. Norris will never play a heavy forechecking game and that’s really what we’re trying to build. I actually think Buffalo is a great fit for him if they can get it together. He’ll have lots of talented wingers to play with, with more speed and creativity than we have.
BonHoonLayneCornell
Registered User
Exactly!
Not a ton saved but every bit counts, and sounds like a lot of actual salary (not cap hit) was saved from the Norris backloaded deal.
Norris' average salary for the rest of his contract is 8.52M, so we'll be saving about 1.42M a year with Cozens only making 7.1M per.
Wallet Inspector
Registered User
- Jan 19, 2013
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Cozens just seems better in most ways offensively than Norris did, and comparing their 5v5 productions speaks for itself.
WORLDSTARHIPHOP
Sens <<<<<<<<<< NHL
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Norris is a great finisher but invisible offensively 5v5.
Cozens is a play driver 5v5 and it's no coincidence that Perron and Batherson go on heaters as soon as he arrived.
Possession and neutral zone transition is something we sorely missed and relied heavily on both Timmy, Brady, and Sanderson
Cozens is a play driver 5v5 and it's no coincidence that Perron and Batherson go on heaters as soon as he arrived.
Possession and neutral zone transition is something we sorely missed and relied heavily on both Timmy, Brady, and Sanderson
I prefer Norris's game when he's 100% healthy, but he doesn't elevate his wingers the way Cozens does. Cozens isn't as good in our own end, but the gap isn't that big.
So far the trade is a W and Cozens still has loads of development left.
So far the trade is a W and Cozens still has loads of development left.
Silky Johnson
I wish you all the bad things in life.
Both Norris and Cozens are great players. Added assets/contracts definitely make the trade a no trainer win for the Sens.
Moreover, I think what Cozens bring is what the Sens needed.
Norris has great straight line speed, good finish and excellent defensive play. He is awesome on the kill and can match up against top lines well. All things that I think Pinto can do.
Cozens is a legit play driver and very good 2C right now. He also has a ton of upside. How he has improved Batherson & Perrons game is exactly what we needed. If this can make the second year of Perrons contract into a positive then great - one less thing for management to have to fix.
Going forward I see 3 important forward pairs with obvious chemistry.
Stutzle - Tkatuck: Great top line with an potential elite C and one of the best power forwards in the game.
Cozens - Batherson: Big bodies who forecheck hard and a ton of skill.
Pinto - Greig: Matchup line with a bit of Sandpaper. Lots of upside offensively.
The rest of the forwards just need to be complementary to that core and can move around a bit if needed. Lose a C to injury for a while? Greig can fill in and others bump up.
This works better than any combos with Norris IMO.
Moreover, I think what Cozens bring is what the Sens needed.
Norris has great straight line speed, good finish and excellent defensive play. He is awesome on the kill and can match up against top lines well. All things that I think Pinto can do.
Cozens is a legit play driver and very good 2C right now. He also has a ton of upside. How he has improved Batherson & Perrons game is exactly what we needed. If this can make the second year of Perrons contract into a positive then great - one less thing for management to have to fix.
Going forward I see 3 important forward pairs with obvious chemistry.
Stutzle - Tkatuck: Great top line with an potential elite C and one of the best power forwards in the game.
Cozens - Batherson: Big bodies who forecheck hard and a ton of skill.
Pinto - Greig: Matchup line with a bit of Sandpaper. Lots of upside offensively.
The rest of the forwards just need to be complementary to that core and can move around a bit if needed. Lose a C to injury for a while? Greig can fill in and others bump up.
This works better than any combos with Norris IMO.
Tuna99
Registered User
- Sep 26, 2009
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Saw him get knocked off 3-4 pucks yesterday and I was not impressed with his battle effirt and when he goes into battles he’s in the right positions he just doesn’t go into battle like his life depends on it. He was non chalant last night
He likes to operate high in the blue line and find lanes which is great, but for a 6’3” player I’d like to see more intensity in battles and along the boards especially. In open ice he hits and can skate with the puck but seeing him get folded a couple of times last game - I understand why Sabers fans didn’t think he had the drive to be a difference maker.
If he played with Ridly Greigs intensity he’d be on Team Canada. Still like him, but he has a ton of room to grow in his every shift attitude and if he does Then we will have a true #2 Center who leads his line and doesn’t participate with it
He likes to operate high in the blue line and find lanes which is great, but for a 6’3” player I’d like to see more intensity in battles and along the boards especially. In open ice he hits and can skate with the puck but seeing him get folded a couple of times last game - I understand why Sabers fans didn’t think he had the drive to be a difference maker.
If he played with Ridly Greigs intensity he’d be on Team Canada. Still like him, but he has a ton of room to grow in his every shift attitude and if he does Then we will have a true #2 Center who leads his line and doesn’t participate with it
Good summary, totally agree.
Cozens has been so good. Not the flashiest guy in the world but has a lot of skill and makes so many small plays that generate chances or help maintain possession.
With Cozens in the mix and Greig really elevating, the duos you highlighted are exciting. It’s cool to imagine what this team could look like when they all really enter their primes in the next couple of years, especially if we can add a couple guys to the mix as Giroux/Perron age out.
The biggest difference is that Norris didn't mesh well with Batherson, and they generated practically no offense at 5 on 5. Norris isn't a 5 on 5 offensive generator at all, despite being a very good all round player.
Batherson and Perron are scoring a lot 5 on 5 with Cozens as he really drives the play, it's been such a good line. He's been good on faceoffs and on the PP too.
Cozens suits the Sens style way more than Norris. He also has more upside and room to improve, Norris is more of a finished product, as he's a mature player with a well-wounded game.
Also, Pinto developing into a good shutdown centre makes Norris redundant. Not to mention having Greig get a bigger defensive role and taking more important faceoffs as he continues to mature and improve. And all of our top 3 centres were leftys, it's good to have one of them a righty now.
Batherson and Perron are scoring a lot 5 on 5 with Cozens as he really drives the play, it's been such a good line. He's been good on faceoffs and on the PP too.
Cozens suits the Sens style way more than Norris. He also has more upside and room to improve, Norris is more of a finished product, as he's a mature player with a well-wounded game.
Also, Pinto developing into a good shutdown centre makes Norris redundant. Not to mention having Greig get a bigger defensive role and taking more important faceoffs as he continues to mature and improve. And all of our top 3 centres were leftys, it's good to have one of them a righty now.
Cozens is objectively better than Norris 5v5, but I do think this narrative re: elevating Batherson has been slightly exaggerated.
Batherson was not playing his best obviously, some nights he was downright terrible, but his lack of scoring 5v5 was also just a lot of bad luck. Ottawa’s shooting percentage in January when Batherson was on the ice was less than 2%, currently it’s at almost 13% - both of which are unsustainable at the extreme ends of the spectrum.
So part of this stretch is luck, everything is going in right now for Batherson and Perron and that won’t last. The other piece is that Norris got so many d-zone starts and Cozens gets easier minutes. I said before I didn’t think it made much sense to have Batherson stapled to a C that takes tough matchups so the structure of the team is much better now, but Cozens should be out producing Norris given role difficulty.
Anyway, not disagreeing with you overall - I think eye test makes it clear Cozens and Batherson are a better match stylistically. The idea going around that he rejuvenated Bath is not one I fully buy into though - he was finding his game again pre-Cozens (looked excellent vs Chicago with him, Norris and Perron dominating).
Tuna99
Registered User
- Sep 26, 2009
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-4 last night and some really bad awareness by Cozens
Definetly he has a great shift and then a really bad shift, and sometimes he’s having a good shift and his brain stops working.
I see why Buffalo traded him. He isn’t locked in all the time. Still like the trade, but Cosens has lots of room to grow still
Definetly he has a great shift and then a really bad shift, and sometimes he’s having a good shift and his brain stops working.
I see why Buffalo traded him. He isn’t locked in all the time. Still like the trade, but Cosens has lots of room to grow still
DJB
Registered User
DJB
Registered User
I warned people that got too excited about those first few games it was adrenaline
We are seeing the true Cozens atm
We are seeing the true Cozens atm
My biggest pet peeve is big guys that are not willing to be physical forces. Like the Kirby dachs Dylan cozens and to a muuuuuuuuch lesser extent Logan browns. Just soft players
Tuna99
Registered User
- Sep 26, 2009
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-2 after 13 games. It’s all Part of the package
He isn’t showing the small ice net front he did in his first 5 games, he’s hanging out a lot more at the offensive blue line and playing on soft ice.
His awareness is D.J. Smith level. He’s on the scene he just freezes and doesn’t play like his life depends on it. Takes to make smoke breaks IMO
Larionov
Registered User
It's no coincidence that two of his worst games have been against the Sabres. I think playing his old team rattled him as opposed to motivating him. Take those two games out and he has been a solid addition, if for no other reason than he is actually on the @#$#ing ice as opposed to being in the trainer's room or therapy tub...
Icelevel
If it gets rough it’s time to get rough
- Sep 9, 2009
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They’ll work with him. He’s in a better environment now and still very young.
Yes he's been kinda meh lately, but hey, at least he's available to play
I have posted this a few times. I live about 1/2 way between Toronto and Buffalo in the Niagara region so I get inundated with Leafs and Sabres news/views more than the rest of the league combined.
My opinon is Cozens was the single worst forward for the Sabres this year and probably the last couple years, and for the reasons people stated above. If you can pick 2 words to describe the problems with his game its "Lacking awareness".
He hustles, he's a good skater, his shot release looks good (if lacking a bit of accuracy).
There will be 20 game stretches where he will score 7 or 8 goals. The question is, do those make up for the 20 game stretches where he scores only 3, and ALL of the time he is a time bomb of bad decisions waiting to go off?
Remember any bad play in his time in Buffalo is not all on the organization. Thompson has turned into an elite scorer in Buffalo. Alex Tuch grew into one of the best all around forwards in the league there. In one season in Buffalo Ryan McLeod has gone from "who is that guy?" to a very good 3c and possibly 2c. There is probably a reason with Cozens why he failed so badly there. Its up to Ottawa to identify that reason and reverse it.
Most of his problems can be solved by moving him to wing.
BigRig4
Registered User
- Feb 22, 2014
- 3,097
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He’s had like 2 bad games since he’s been here. Pretty much every player on the team has had 2 bad games somewhere in that stretch. I get he’s under a microscope because we just traded for him, but we collectively need to relax.
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