The 2024-2025 Roster Thread

[jc17]

Red Wings Exploring Dylan Cozens Deal: Is He Worth It? - The Hockey Writers Detroit Red Wings Latest News, Analysis & More

The Detroit Red Wings have been scouting Buffalo Sabres forward Dylan Cozens as a potential trade target according to an NHL insider.

thehockeywriters.com

This is an interesting take from the Detroit side of things.

Imagine if Detroit traded for Cozens and flipped him in a deal for EP

 

[Chainshot]

Feels like they're already short on center options and moving Cozens as a part of a deal without it being for something better leaves them even worse off in that regard. This is Ennis-Hodgson level of thin in the middle. F. F. F.

 

[Fjordy]

Feels like they're already short on center options and moving Cozens as a part of a deal without it being for something better leaves them even worse off in that regard. This is Ennis-Hodgson level of thin in the middle. F. F. F.

Not that Cozens is a good center, McLeod looks better in the top 6 with the better teammates, imo. But a deal for Pettersson makes a lot more sense than Detroit.

 

[Chainshot]

Not that Cozens is a good center, McLeod looks better in the top 6 with the better teammates, imo. But a deal for Pettersson makes a lot more sense than Detroit.

I don't think either are particularly great. McLeod is an okay option as a transition player who gets pucks out of his own zone with his skating. The offense has been and remains spotty. Ironically, when Cozens started to solidify his role in the NHL, there were some similarities - he was doing a lot of zone to zone transitioning and was high on entries. Now? Nope.

 

[Fjordy]

I don't think either are particularly great. McLeod is an okay option as a transition player who gets pucks out of his own zone with his skating. The offense has been and remains spotty. Ironically, when Cozens started to solidify his role in the NHL, there were some similarities - he was doing a lot of zone to zone transitioning and was high on entries. Now? Nope.

Well I don't see McLeod as our 2C on a permanent basis, but right now he plays decently with the same Tuck on the second line, a temporary stopgap, but ideally he is our good 3C. The problem is that Cozens is worse than McLeod in some aspects and he has the same number of points, although he played more and had a lot of PP, unlike Ryan.

 

[Faceboner]

Honestly rebuild it trade em all none of them are professional athletes or take their job seriously

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

Feels like they're already short on center options and moving Cozens as a part of a deal without it being for something better leaves them even worse off in that regard. This is Ennis-Hodgson level of thin in the middle. F. F. F.

If they don’t view Cozens as a C, and the deal is for Compher and Kaspar, doesn’t that improve center depth? Arguably by 2?

 

[Chainshot]

If they don’t view Cozens as a C, and the deal is for Compher and Kaspar, doesn’t that improve center depth? Arguably by 2?

He gives them a prospect and somebody who’s performing at a similar to lower level. They seem to be stocking the shelves with 3C guys, not sure about adding a future one and a current one.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

He gives them a prospect and somebody who’s performing at a similar to lower level. They seem to be stocking the shelves with 3C guys, not sure about adding a future one and a current one.

Still, to your original point - you said Buffalo is lacking center depth, and this theoretical deal adds center depth. Ennis and Hodgson is MUCH different than Tage, Compher, McLeod, Krebs, and Kulich, with both Kaspar and Ostlund knocking on the door soon.

Swapping Cozens out for Compher shifts the focus from 2nd line to 3rd line, but Cozens isn’t reliable as a 2nd line anyway.

Not that I want to do the deal…I definitely do not. I just don’t think center depth is among the top 5 issues rn.

 

[Chainshot]

Still, to your original point - you said Buffalo is lacking center depth, and this theoretical deal adds center depth. Ennis and Hodgson is MUCH different than Tage, Compher, McLeod, Krebs, and Kulich, with both Kaspar and Ostlund knocking on the door soon.

Swapping Cozens out for Compher shifts the focus from 2nd line to 3rd line, but Cozens isn’t reliable as a 2nd line anyway.

Not that I want to do the deal…I definitely do not. I just don’t think center depth is among the top 5 issues rn.

It is again having no quality 2C option, even if Cozens has not been good in the 2C role. Unless they think Helenius is that guy and I’m not sure I put my hopes on an 18 y.o. right now.

Is Kasper better than Helenius or Ostlund? I still don’t see it, though I say that a lot about what they do…

 

[Zman5778]

Before the 13 game losing streak: 11-9-1
13 game losing streak: 0-10-3
After the 13 game losing streak: 5-2-1

Talk about inconsistent. This screams "young team".....even if this team is young age-wise but not GP-wise.

 

[Deep Blue Metallic]

Honestly rebuild it trade em all none of them are professional athletes or take their job seriously

No, just no.

2-3 capable veteran leaders in the roster weak spots we discuss endlessly and the Sabres become a much better team.

As for having a GM who can accomplish that, well ...

Before the 13 game losing streak: 11-9-1
13 game losing streak: 0-10-3
After the 13 game losing streak: 5-2-1

Talk about inconsistent. This screams "young team".....even if this team is young age-wise but not GP-wise.

Indeed. It also screams "no Dahlin".

 

[joshjull]

Interesting points on Baker/Fairburn pod about Cozens recent good play. Crediting some of it to him getting time between Zucker/Tage. That its one of the few times he’s played with both wingers having more experience than he does. Also that the team should stop going on about his leadership ability and just let him work out his game.

It’s theme with this team where kids have little to no support from vets. Nothing new there as a topic, just another example.

 

[Djp]

Kevyn Adams won't make a trade before the week leading up to the TDL where he dumps UFAs for futures. Book it. He's incapable of pulling off a big trade. He's incapable of working another GM.

He's completely unqualified for this position, and though he continues to prove that decision after terrible decision, he's also never going to be fired because this franchise is a fluffy play toy for Terry, and now that he's no longer interested in losing $20million/year on his fluffy play toy, he won't be paying more people to not work for him. He knows that the Bills and their unbelievable success is the only sports legacy he'll be known for.

Whether we like it or not, the NHL is a 3rd tier professional sport, much closer in relevance to MLS and NLL than the NFL. It's best to just find another team or quit watching hockey.

He traded Eichel, Risto, and Reinhart before and last year he traded Mitts.

He’s not making dumb trades of Cozens for magic beans.

I mean I don't like the job Adams has done either but this is false. He made the biggest trade in the league last year with Mittelstadt for Byram lol

We actually agree here…

 

[MarkusKetterer]

Before the 13 game losing streak: 11-9-1
13 game losing streak: 0-10-3
After the 13 game losing streak: 5-2-1

Talk about inconsistent. This screams "young team".....even if this team is young age-wise but not GP-wise.

16-11-2, while not great, would be a record that would put them into contention for a playoff spot (assuming they’d play at that same pace). Yet we know in that record, they lost games they had the lead in.

That 0-10-3 record though… oof. Even a couple of points there would look better (eg. 0-8-5 or 0-9-4)

 

[Tatanka]

He traded Eichel, Risto, and Reinhart before and last year he traded Mitts.

He’s not making dumb trades of Cozens for magic beans.

We actually agree here…

Why not? He made dumb trades of Eichel Reinhart and Mitts?

 

[Irie]

That's bad news.

Sounds like a Kasper deal...

Adams is such a fool.

I think it was always Kasper that Adams asked for in return. I said back when the rumor first broke.

Kasper was a prospect Adams coveted, and Cozens for Kasper saves Terry money. It's a formula that this organization runs on.

Adams should give up a lot to pry Pettersson out of Vancouver but the chances of Pegula authorizing Adams to acquire a player demanding 11.6M of his money is feeling very very slim.

 

[Fjordy]

Interesting points on Baker/Fairburn pod about Cozens recent good play. Crediting some of it to him getting time between Zucker/Tage. That its one of the few times he’s played with both wingers having more experience than he does. Also that the team should stop going on about his leadership ability and just let him work out his game.

It’s theme with this team where kids have little to no support from vets. Nothing new there as a topic, just another example.

Well they also said that trading Power makes a lot of sense.

Cozens should be available for Pettersson too if they ask for him. But there's no point in selling him cheap to Detroit or anywhere else.

 

[ValJamesDuex]

Why not? He made dumb trades of Eichel Reinhart and Mitts?

you might want to check in on the Av's board about Mitt's currently, just sayin'

 

[Irie]

Ironically, when Cozens started to solidify his role in the NHL, there were some similarities - he was doing a lot of zone to zone transitioning and was high on entries. Now? Nope.

But we have seen he is capable of transitioning the puck that way. I can almost guarantee that right now he is over thinking everything and he isn't reacting, he is processing and then deciding, and his decision making is behind the play.

When Cozens was playing on reaction we saw him processing the game at NHL speed, but he was being coached by Granato who had him ignoring the oppositions positions on the ice, so he was only processing half the ice Right now he is trying to track every player, both his teammates and his opponents, all while trying to remember where Ruff wants him to be when certain opponents are in certain areas.

I do believe that the tracking and reading the ice will eventually start to click and become instinctual for him, and then he will be able to just react again and really play center - but, it may not,
and he will always be processing a step behind the play, in which case he'll have to move to wing. i(Ths is where I think having a position heavy systems coach could absolutely benefit him).

So the question now becomes, how long can the Sabres realistically wait on him to see if he will come around?

 

[Krieger Bot]

Before the 13 game losing streak: 11-9-1
13 game losing streak: 0-10-3
After the 13 game losing streak: 5-2-1

Talk about inconsistent. This screams "young team".....even if this team is young age-wise but not GP-wise.

You see it happen all the time. A team gets into a funk mentally and plays below their talent level. The most famous example probably being the Blues before hiring Berube during their Cup season.

That's not an excuse mind you. Having the mental fortitude to make it through tough stretches without having them "snowball" is a critical skill for a hockey team, and it's one the Sabres are lacking. But I just don't think this team is as actually bad as its record on paper.