The 2024-2025 Roster Thread

[zenthusiast]

Marner may not be a franchise player but he brings something that this particular has lacked for a while. If they’d somehow agree to flip him for DC I’d carry the kid to Toronto on my back

 

[ValJamesDuex]

Fowler was a intersting deal, but don't see GMKA giving up that 2nd there either.

 

[Zman5778]

Fowler was a intersting deal, but don't see GMKA giving up that 2nd there either.

Certainly not for a LHD who's more a puck-mover than a defender.....we've got those coming out our ears.

 

[ValJamesDuex]

Troy Terry anyone?

Marner may not be a franchise player but he brings something that this particular has lacked for a while. If they’d somehow agree to flip him for DC I’d carry the kid to Toronto on my back

Who is our 2C after that or another acquisition?

 

[toddkaz]

I don't understand why Toronto would do this. Of course I would do it because Marner is an elite first line winger, a great playmaker and a good two-way forward with good defensive game.

I could understand why Toronto would do it but I don't think Cozens is enough. Marner has been rumored on the outs since last post season disappearance. I believe truth to those rumors and perhaps Toronto feels Cozens makes them tougher to play against.

I think if you looked you would find Marner has been rumored to be in trades since last off season. It wouldn't be the first time the fans and media ran a player out of Toronto.

 

[joshjull]

Sadly I see the same trajectory because of the organization's decisions to fast track guys. We will be left with a 4th line winger with a regressed skillset, when he should've been an effective "middle 6 guy" with a pretty complete skillset if we were even a little bit patient.

There is nothing in common at all between the handling of Girgs and the handling of Cozens.

Girgs
D+1 -> supposed to go to Vermont from USHL. Sabres talked him into the AHL. Thats a big jump. First half of AHL season he gets beat up (including a concussion) and doesn’t find his game until the very end of the year. Nothing that season says he’s ready for the NHL, not even close (61gms 6g 17pts).
D+2 -> But into the NHL he went anyway. He was a middle 6 NHL forward and put up 8g 22pts playing 15:18 overall/12:39 @ 5v5.
D+3 > Girgs was the #1 all situations center getting 19min overall/14min 5v5. Which was an insane jump in role/usage and ridiculous thing to do. At best he should have been a bottom 6 NHL forward. His stats that season; 61gms 15g 30pts.

Girgs was never given similar minutes overall, 5v5 or PP opportunities again after his D+3 season. It’s like he was thrown to the wolves in that role/usage to get through that final tank season.


Now compare that to Cozens

D+1 -> WHL and world juniors
D+2 -> Covid year/First half practicing with Team Canada then WJC. The 2nd half with Sabres. IN and out of the lineup on the taxi squad under Krueger. Then a regular under Granato (I believe he was 3C) Stats 41gms 4g 13pts
D+3 -> Was supposed to be 3C but Mitts injured first game. Got more minutes but not a ton 15:53 overall/12:59 5v5(effectively a middle 6 center. Stats -> 79gms 13g 38pts
D+4 -> Middle 6 center used in all situations. He was a top PKer and on top PP unit. He played the 2nd most minutes overall behind Tage of our centers (16:29) and 3rd most 5v5 (11:43) behind Mitts/Tage. Stats -> 81gms 31g 68pts.

Cozens gradually worked his way into more mintues and opportunities and eventually had a break out in his D+4 season. It’s pretty hard to argue he didn’t earn a shot at the 2C spot with his play that season. That it hasn’t worked out so far doesn’t change that.

 

[OkimLom]

He's on a 45 point pace in his 3rd season after scoring 57 in his rookie campaign. Last year he had 37 points. He's not building off his rookie season. He's down in goals by a lot as the assists are doing the heavy lifting. How can we say Cozens needs a change of scenery and not apply the same thing to Beniers who's pretty much in a similar boat.

Because there’s more to hockey than points, and as I have mentioned earlier, he’s having a poor shooting% season, shooting 7% off by quite a bit in his career average.

There’s plenty to like in his game away from scoring points. He’s still getting his chances. He’s still creating opportunities. Beniers is playing just fine, even if his production is down a little.

Im not one that thinks Cozens needs a change of scenery, mainly because he’s still making good plays on the ice to flip the play, especially transitioning. Right now, Cozens is making more negative plays than positive, but those plays are fixable and probably could be helped with what appears to be Cozens getting in his own way. But Cozens looks like a player that probably would bounce back on another team and needs to get away from this organization. But at $7 million aav, I don’t see that happening.

 

[Fjordy]

Who is our 2C after that or another acquisition?

Find 2C in another deal, now our 2C is definitely not Cozens. If a guy like Marner is available and he somehow agrees to sign an extension in Buffalo, you try your best to get that guy.

I could understand why Toronto would do it but I don't think Cozens is enough. Marner has been rumored on the outs since last post season disappearance. I believe truth to those rumors and perhaps Toronto feels Cozens makes them tougher to play against.

I think if you looked you would find Marner has been rumored to be in trades since last off season. It wouldn't be the first time the fans and media ran a player out of Toronto.

They verbally kick someone out every year. I would be in favor of getting Marner anyway.

 

[Deep Blue Metallic]

Desharnais is terrible. Joker is better. No thanks.

Marner is one of the most creative forwards in the league, and a demon defensively and on the PK. But it would require something like Cozens + 1st + top prospect. I'm a big fan of Mitch, but he isn't the 200' 2C we need. Pass again.

Predicted rationalization if Cozens gets traded for a lowball offer, and magically finds his game under a new coaching staff in a different organization:

"But he wasn't ever going to do that here!!!"

 

[OkimLom]

Would you do it? Given that Marner waives and signs an extention?

Yes I would do it, and I’d still look for another play driver for our top 6. I think Marner would welcome the change and the more opportunities he would be afforded. Our top 6 would still have too many complementary pieces in it. We also need someone that can help drive the standards and expectations of the team.

Hate to “live in the past” but Marner would be our Briere sort of move, we would need that Drury-like move in terms of making moves to change the organization path.

 

[Fjordy]

Marner is one of the most creative forwards in the league, and a demon defensively and on the PK. But it would require something like Cozens + 1st + top prospect. I'm a big fan of Mitch, but he isn't the 200' 2C we need. Pass again.

I disagree, he can play his own line, sometimes it's better than 2C (depending on the center). Right now our 2C is Kulikh. I think Peterka or Benson will have a much easier time playing with a guy like Marner, also you can move Tuch to the second line or make a separate line with Marner. Just find a 2C in another deal, we have assets.

Benson/Peterka - Thompson - Marner/Tuch
Benson/Peterka - 2C - Marner/Tuch

Also I think a guy like Quinn could win on the line with Marner too, Quinn seems to be able to play LW.

 

[Fjordy]

Troy Terry anyone?

Yes, of course

 

[zenthusiast]

Troy Terry anyone?



Who is our 2C after that or another acquisition?

I don’t think there’s an answer on the roster right now, but as I don’t see cozens as a center currently it’s not much different for me. Maybe someone’s willing to part with a veteran that has another year or two left on the back part of their usefulness

 

[The Red Helmet]

Cozens will do well if the Sabres trade him to a winning organization where he can play wing in a veteran lineup and isn't expected to drive a line.

 

[Chainshot]

Dejonnaise is not a good player. If they didn’t already have Gilbert maybe but he is redundant even if he is a righty.

 

[Deep Blue Metallic]

3rd pairings of Bryson/Sammy-Joker/Clifton are at least decent, if properly utilized. It's the defensively capable veteran RHD partner for Power or Byram that we need.

No point trying to fill holes that don't exist.

 

[thewookie1]

If Marner wants to sign in July, sure but I'm not even the slightest bit interested in trading Cozens to Toronto to get him now. Cozens being so highly sought after tells me that he well thought of in the NHL and is highly likely to blow up after leaving here. Let's instead work on getting him in a better position to succeed

 

[Archie Lee]

Unless I’m mistaken, the Sabres have not suggested they are looking to trade Cozens. Friedman merely reported that there are teams around the league asking about Cozens. The Steve Dangle clip was just saying it would be crazy for the Sabres to trade another underachieving forward, given how the last few have gone on to better things. The Marner for Cozens thing, was just Chad sarcastically retorting that if they like Cozens so much then maybe they should give us Marner for him. Chad’s reference to hoping Cozens scores 7 goals in the next two games v. The Leafs, as a response to the Dangle clip, makes no sense as they were defending Cozens, not criticizing him. We have descended into Madness.

 

[OkimLom]

Unless I’m mistaken, the Sabres have not suggested they are looking to trade Cozens. Friedman merely reported that there are teams around the league asking about Cozens. The Steve Dangle clip was just saying it would be crazy for the Sabres to trade another underachieving forward, given how the last few have gone on to better things. The Marner for Cozens thing, was just Chad sarcastically retorting that if they like Cozens so much then maybe they should give us Marner for him. Chad’s reference to hoping Cozens scores 7 goals in the next two games v. The Leafs, as a response to the Dangle clip, makes no sense as they were defending Cozens, not criticizing him. We have descended into Madness.

I welcome any discussion that is fresh and new after just seeing boards bringing up the same talking points over and over again. I’d peg the chances of Marner ever coming here pretty darn low and as close to zero as you can get, but I’d think it’s something interesting to talk about.

 

[Fjordy]

I agree with Baker that he doesn't need that Cozens, he needs a more aggressive and ferocious Cozens, he's been gone for 13 months, we need to bring out the beast in him. Also Baker and Fairburn said that Power definitely has more value than Cozens right now and he could be a good trade chip, and they like Byram's game, but we don't need that many players like that.

 

[toddkaz]

Seems to be a lot of players moving around for the window being closed.

 

[TommyDangles]

Would you prefer I say it won’t matter if he’s good here? Because you’ve ignored that entire part. UPL is good. Where are they with him? Mitts got good before getting shipped out. Team was shit.

Until a team is built…nothing will matter. And this GM is incapable of building a team. Also…Dylan Cozens sucks f***ing ass and has every year aside from one outlier shooting percentage that people need to let go of. How do I know he won’t be good? Because he never has been. He just had stuff go in one year. Unlike every other year of his career. And now, as a bonus, he’s a gigantic p***y who isn’t a center, looks slow, and is too stupid to figure things out.

Keep him. You aren’t going anywhere anyway. But at least you can see if he gets better on your 9th place at best team forever.

Is Kevyn Adams going to build a playoff team by the time Cozens can’t coast off his one outlier season? If you think no…what the f*** is the point of keeping him?

People want big change…but an overpaid, overrated third line winger played far above his capabilities actively costing them games…that’s a non-starter. Let’s get real.

I’d rather free up money they will spend and get back professional hockey players who aren’t so far in their own brainless head that they’re wasting their career. Because there are a dozen younger guys I’d much rather surround with that then have them turn out like Dylan Cozens.

Because you in the past said that UPL was shit and wanted him gone. You also said that Mitts sucked and we should get rid of him.

Again fans here have an obsession with getting rid of our young players instead of just adding to them. Then you wonder why we suck.