Confirmed Trade: [OTT/BUF] Dylan Cozens, Dennis Gilbert, and 2026 2nd round pick for Josh Norris and Jacob Bernard-Docker

[bleedgreen]

Because Tage Thompson is in Norris spot on the half wall. They’re wasting Norris’ most useful asset.

One’s a righty and one’s a lefty. If you’re implying Norris’ most useful asset is a one timer I think they’d be on opposite sides.

 

[Bounces R Way]

Wow 9 hits in his debut. NINE. Out there bullying Rangers all over the ice. Rempe cowering and submissive with only 3 hits in Dylan's presence. Brady Tkachuk(easy choice for Mark Messier's bigtime ballsy leader of the year award btw) just raises everyone's testosterone in the locker room I suspect.

 

[BigDaddyLurch]

Wow 9 hits in his debut. NINE. Out there bullying Rangers all over the ice. Rempe cowering and submissive with only 3 hits in Dylan's presence. Brady Tkachuk(easy choice for Mark Messier's bigtime ballsy leader of the year award btw) just raises everyone's testosterone in the locker room I suspect.

 

[Panthaz89]

Based on the one game I can see where people think he has weak IQ but imo the biggest thing seems like he forgot how to play on instincts.

I think expectations to be the 7 million dollar C and apparently he got rocked in a fight so a concussion? Got to him.

But I think there's a solid player buried underneath there.

Hopefully the change in environment and the coaching from guys like Alfredsson resets him.

This really is just some random stuff people like to bring up with no real point Cozens was already playing below expectations before the fight that season.

 

[Karl Eriksson]

JBD is very underrated.

He's cleared waivers several times. So he's at or below replacement level. He's rated.

 

[BFLO]

Ya they are, but Cozens hasn’t been the same since having his jaw caved in a good while back. Change of scenery for sure though.

This is cope.

Cozens was bad well before the fight with Hathaway. After the fight he missed about 3 games and was then useless on the ice for a month, but then when right back to scoring at about the same pace he had been on for the 3 months before the fight happened.

Fight night was Nov 3rd 2023.
Cozens 3/1/2023 - 11/3/2023: 23 points in 34 games. 55.47 pts/82 game pace
If we look at just the 2023-24 season. He had 7 points in 11 games to start the season until the fight. Or 52.18 pts/82 game pace

One month later
Cozens 12/3/2023 - end of season : 36 points in 57 games played. 51.79 pts/82 game pace

He finished the season with 47 points in 79 games. The fight cost him about a month of productivity, but he bounced right back to where he had been.

The outlier in his career is the 25 games from 11/1/2022 to 12/31/2022. He scored 28 points, or 91.84 pts/82 game pace.

 

[KrakenSabresMike]

This is cope.

Cozens was bad well before the fight with Hathaway. After the fight he missed about 3 games and was then useless on the ice for a month, but then when right back to scoring at about the same pace he had been on for the 3 months before the fight happened.

Fight night was Nov 3rd 2023.
Cozens 3/1/2023 - 11/3/2023: 23 points in 34 games. 55.47 pts/82 game pace
If we look at just the 2023-24 season. He had 7 points in 11 games to start the season. Or 52.18 pts/82 game pace

One month later
Cozens 12/3/2023 - end of season : 36 points in 57 games played. 51.79 pts/82 game pace

He finished the season with 47 points in 79 games. The fight cost him about a month of productivity, but he bounced right back to where he had been.

The outlier in his career is the 25 games from 11/1/2022 to 12/31/2022. He scored 28 points, or 91.84 pts/82 game pace.

Backing up Your good points above -It’s worth mentioning for context that his “ huge season” occurred in the context of Buffalo playing granatos zero defense all offense plan that year where everyone scored ( Jeff skinner was a point per game player) - once they added any d responsibility he fell off a cliff in effectiveness. Has been a huge negative defensive player in his time here and that will likely continue. This is one big benefit of Norris who is decent to good actual 2 way player - cozens is not and never has been

 

[NyQuil]

Pretty clear that Buffalo won this deal pretty handily.

Judging by the number of Sabres fans trashing Cozens and the lack of Senators fans trashing Norris.

 

[Jimmybarndoor2]

PP is both skill and IQ. Especially IQ for the guy at the top.

Buffalos coaches are a joke
Ruff was brought in as a figurehead to give them more time
Really hard to judge any player with those coaches

 

[Fatass]

Buffalos coaches are a joke
Ruff was brought in as a figurehead to give them more time
Really hard to judge any player with those coaches

Yup. Coaches don’t win games but they can lose them.

 

[Yatzhee]

This is cope.

Cozens was bad well before the fight with Hathaway. After the fight he missed about 3 games and was then useless on the ice for a month, but then when right back to scoring at about the same pace he had been on for the 3 months before the fight happened.

Fight night was Nov 3rd 2023.
Cozens 3/1/2023 - 11/3/2023: 23 points in 34 games. 55.47 pts/82 game pace
If we look at just the 2023-24 season. He had 7 points in 11 games to start the season until the fight. Or 52.18 pts/82 game pace

One month later
Cozens 12/3/2023 - end of season : 36 points in 57 games played. 51.79 pts/82 game pace

He finished the season with 47 points in 79 games. The fight cost him about a month of productivity, but he bounced right back to where he had been.

The outlier in his career is the 25 games from 11/1/2022 to 12/31/2022. He scored 28 points, or 91.84 pts/82 game pace.

Lol
At 54 years in to my love for hockey, and the Sabres, when combined with the Sabres historical franchise disappointments, cope is a natural bi-product as a Sabres fan.
That being said, unlike many of the younger fan base, I don’t put a great deal of stock in a 7 OA or lower pick (lower as in 7, 8, etc. etc.). It’s a combination of hit or miss mindset wise, development path (which has a number of sub sets, such as rushed in to the NHL roster and so on) and internal drive/desire in a players over all approach to maturity in their game.

Cozens was never going to be and is never going to be a game driver. He’s a complimentary player. There are plenty of those in the league.

 

[The Devilish Buffoon]

Lol
At 54 years in to my love for hockey, and the Sabres, when combined with the Sabres historical franchise disappointments, cope is a natural bi-product as a Sabres fan.
That being said, unlike many of the younger fan base, I don’t put a great deal of stock in a 7 OA or lower pick (lower as in 7, 8, etc. etc.). It’s a combination of hit or miss mindset wise, development path (which has a number of sub sets, such as rushed in to the NHL roster and so on) and internal drive/desire in a players over all approach to maturity in their game.

Cozens was never going to be and is never going to be a game driver. He’s a complimentary player. There are plenty of those in the league.

I have always been a big Norris supporter, I think he will do well in Buffalo and could be a part of the solution, but if you expect play-driving out of him you will be sorely, sorely disappointed.

 

[SportsdudeRy]

Both players needed a change of scenery. Let’s see what happens.

 

[Yatzhee]

I have always been a big Norris supporter, I think he will do well in Buffalo and could be a part of the solution, but if you expect play-driving out of him you will be sorely, sorely disappointed.

Who’s talking about Norris? I was addressing the Cozens response.

 

[Washed Up 29YearOld]

Norris will be OK but Cozens will mature into a 75 pt C, Gilbert will become a top 4 dman, and the 2nd they got will turn into the new ROR.

It has been foretold by the hockey gods

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

Both players needed a change of scenery. Let’s see what happens.

Norris just needed to be healthy, tbh. But the Sens core was turning into a bit of a frat. So maybe this elevates him even when he does maintain his health. I also saw Hischer or even a lesser version of Reinhart in him. Loved Norris.

 

[The Devilish Buffoon]

Norris will be OK but Cozens will mature into a 75 pt C, Gilbert will become a top 4 dman, and the 2nd they got will turn into the new ROR.

It has been foretold by the hockey gods

Seems like almost the exact opposite of what is happening in this thread

 

[Pierre from Orleans]

Both players needed a change of scenery. Let’s see what happens.

Just curious but how did Norris needed a change of scenery?

 

[BFLO]

Lol
At 54 years in to my love for hockey, and the Sabres, when combined with the Sabres historical franchise disappointments, cope is a natural bi-product as a Sabres fan.
That being said, unlike many of the younger fan base, I don’t put a great deal of stock in a 7 OA or lower pick (lower as in 7, 8, etc. etc.). It’s a combination of hit or miss mindset wise, development path (which has a number of sub sets, such as rushed in to the NHL roster and so on) and internal drive/desire in a players over all approach to maturity in their game.

Cozens was never going to be and is never going to be a game driver. He’s a complimentary player. There are plenty of those in the league.

Ok? So you agree that the Hathaway fight has nothing to do with Cozens has turned out?

 

[Yatzhee]

Ok? So you agree that the Hathaway fight has nothing to do with Cozens has turned out?

No, I firmly believe that incident changed his on ice behavior. Hell, he just stood by and watched Dahlin get mauled his last game as a Sabres. That’s been a recurring theme for him since the jaw incident…….fear, imo.

 

[Washed Up 29YearOld]

Seems like almost the exact opposite of what is happening in this thread

???
Every one who leaves Buffalo becomes a hall of famer, everyone knows that.

 

[Irie]

No, I firmly believe that incident changed his on ice behavior. Hell, he just stood by and watched Dahlin get mauled his last game as a Sabres. That’s been a recurring theme for him since the jaw incident…….fear, imo.

This incident is being totally blown out of proportion.

Game is tied 3-3, and the coaching staff does NOT want Cozens jumping in to escalate the scrum and likely take the loan penalty.

Dahlin gets a small face tap at the end, and the Sabres get a power play out of it.

If the game is a blowout, then sure, expecting Cozens to jump in there is fair but I guarantee had Cozens flew in late (after he picked himself up off the ice and the refs were already in the mix), it would have escalated the scrum, he would have been the one getting the lone penalty, and later, the wrath of Ruff.

It is important to realize that the refs perspective has to be taken in to account in these situations. As someone who paid bills by reffing hockey in college, I promise you that there is nothing refs hate more than players jumping into scrums late when refs are trying to separate players. Anyone that does that is guaranteed getting a penalty and the refs are likely going to give the opposition a powerplay. This never crosses most fans minds, but every coach knows it, and most players are warned not to do it in close games.

That said, I agree that the Hathaway fight did change cozens a bit in terms of his aggressive physicality.

 

[Erik Alfredsson]

I know Cozens has his warts, but I really question a lot of Buffalo's fans comments on him in here. He's got terrible hockey IQ, he's not physical, poor work ethic, doesn't have a good shot, loses puck battles, not fast, terrible defensively, etc,.

So what the hell is he good at then? The guy got 68 points and 30 goals one year. Did he do it by accident?

 

[Bjornar Moxnes]

I know Cozens has his warts, but I really question a lot of Buffalo's fans comments on him in here. He's got terrible hockey IQ, he's not physical, poor work ethic, doesn't have a good shot, loses puck battles, not fast, terrible defensively, etc,.

So what the hell is he good at then? The guy got 68 points and 30 goals one year. Did he do it by accident?

Cozens is very fast, skilled, and can have an aggressive side. His hockey IQ definitely is a weak point, and his shot isn't amaizng.

 

[LeProspector]

I know Cozens has his warts, but I really question a lot of Buffalo's fans comments on him in here. He's got terrible hockey IQ, he's not physical, poor work ethic, doesn't have a good shot, loses puck battles, not fast, terrible defensively, etc,.

So what the hell is he good at then? The guy got 68 points and 30 goals one year. Did he do it by accident?

When fans talk about the players on their own teams, seldom is there a middle ground on how they value them. Either they’re the second coming of Jesus Christ, or complete dog crap, when in reality the players value is somewhere in the middle.

Look at Ottawa fans with Norris, many would have been happy if he was dumped for nothing and they got his salary off the books.