Buffalo Sabres center Dylan Cozens has become a focal point of trade discussions as the team keeps struggling through another disappointing season.
According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, Cozens is generating significant interest from rival teams, with the Sabres receiving multiple calls about his availability.
“Buffalo is getting calls on Dylan Cozens,” Friedman wrote in his "32 Thoughts" column. “This would terrify me if I were the Sabres, vultures circling overhead while player and team struggle.
“Right-shot center, 23 years old, two years removed from a 30-goal season. He’s also signed for five more seasons at a $7.1M AAV, helping his value.
”I would be very, very careful with this because he’s legitimately wanted.”
Cozens’ potential availability comes as the Sabres face mounting pressure to make significant changes. At 11–14–4, Buffalo is on track to miss the playoffs for a staggering 14th consecutive season.
While the team has shown a willingness to trade core players in the past—most notably with Jack Eichel in 2021—moving Cozens would signal another major shift for the franchise, and those moves have backfired in the past.
Friedman already reported on Monday's episode of the "32 Thoughts" podcast that multiple teams have approached Buffalo about the 23-year-old.
“Buffalo fans right now, they are all over Dylan Cozens,” Friedman said. “They’re all over him. And I do think teams have asked about Cozens this year.”
The 23-year-old Cozens has struggled this season, managing only six goals and 13 points in 29 games after he broke out two years ago scoring 31 goals during the 2022–23 campaign.
Despite his recent downturn, Cozens’ age, skill set, and favorable contract make him an attractive option for teams seeking a long-term solution at center.
