This season hasn’t unfolded as expected for both Jack Quinn and Dylan Cozens. Coming in, the hope was that they’d take the next step in their development. So far, that hasn’t been the case. We’re almost two months in and they both have struggled to find their rhythm, with Quinn in particular facing significant challenges. Naturally, this has led to some panic, with talk of them being “too far gone” and suggestions that the Sabres should consider trading them. Let’s take a step back and breathe. They’ve got time, and they’ll be fine.
Jack Quinn Struggles
Quinn entered this season with high expectations after a challenging previous campaign, where he was limited to just 27 games due to two significant injuries. Despite that, he still managed a respectable nine goals and 10 assists for 19 points—impressive production for such limited ice time. With a fully healthy offseason, the hope was that Quinn would find consistency and perhaps rekindle the chemistry he’s shown with Cozens over the past two seasons. However, things haven’t gone as planned.
This season, Quinn’s performance has been disappointing. In 23 games, he’s managed just one goal and four assists for five points. But his struggles extend beyond the scoresheet—he currently ranks in the 1st percentile for offensive production and the 21st percentile for defensive production across the NHL (per evolvinghockey.com). It’s about as rough as it gets, and he’s on pace for the worst season of his career. But what if I told you there’s still reason to believe he’ll bounce back?
Patience Is Key for Quinn
Quinn still has plenty of time to grow and develop. At just 23 years old, he’s only played 126 NHL games—a relatively small sample size. While it’s fair to want more from him, it’s important to remember that many players who are now stars in the league were late bloomers. Take, for example, Sabres standout Tage Thompson, who at 23 managed just eight goals and six assists for 14 points in 38 games. Then there’s former Sabres second-overall pick Sam Reinhart, who didn’t break out until his age-23 season when he posted 65 points.
The reality is Sabres fans and media are understandably impatient after a 13-year playoff drought. However, it’s crucial to remember that this is still the youngest team in the NHL, with an average age of 25.44 (per EliteProspects.com).
Now, imagine this scenario: the Sabres decide to trade Quinn after a disappointing season, assuming they re-sign him as a restricted free agent (RFA). Quinn moves on, scores 20 goals and 50 points elsewhere, and suddenly Sabres fans are calling for general manager Kevyn Adams’ head. He’ll be slammed for “giving up on a young player with potential.” Let’s be honest—Quinn has the ability to develop into a 30-40 goal scorer if given time to refine his game.
The Sabres’ front office won’t win in this situation unless Quinn starts producing soon. But glimpses of his potential have been evident this season, even if only in flashes. The key is confidence. Once Quinn regains his swagger, his game will improve across the board. It’s not just about racking up points; it’s about generating scoring chances, forcing turnovers, and driving play in transition. Those elements naturally lead to goals and assists.
If the team, fans, and media remain patient and supportive, there’s every reason to believe Quinn will break out—perhaps even before this season ends.
Dylan Cozens Struggles
Cozens’ situation is a bit different from Quinn’s. The 23-year-old center, a five-year NHL veteran, is coming off a season where his production dipped, posting 47 points in 79 games after tallying 68 points in 81 games in 2022-23. That breakout performance earned him a hefty seven-year, $7.1 million cap-hit contract extension, signaling the team’s belief in his long-term potential.
This season, however, Cozens has struggled to find his form, with just five goals and five assists for 10 points in 24 games. He’s currently on pace for the worst season of his career since he was a rookie in 2020-21, when he recorded 13 points in 41 games.
Many fans tend to focus solely on the basic stats—goals, assists, and points—as the primary measure of a player’s performance. While these metrics are important, especially in Cozens’ case, as they were the foundation for his lucrative extension, they don’t tell the full story. He does need to justify the organization’s faith by producing offensively, but it’s worth remembering that development isn’t always linear.
Cozens Is Unlucky
The reason I say stats aren’t everything is because of what Cozens has gone through this season—he’s been remarkably unlucky, and that might even be putting it mildly. At one point, things were so rough that he hit the post on an empty-net shot from the opposing blue line during a game against the Dallas Stars. Since then, his luck has improved slightly, but not by much.
Beneath the surface, the advanced analytics suggest he’s playing better than his basic stats reflect. According to Evolving-Hockey, Cozens ranks in the 50th percentile for offensive production and the 35th percentile for defense. His Goals Above Replacement (GAR) is just over 6.0, while his Expected Goals Above Replacement (xGAR) hovers around 0.0. The effort and process are clearly there. While he does make the occasional costly mistake, he also regularly demonstrates why he’s the Sabres’ second-line center. At his best, Cozens is a gritty playmaker who thrives in high-danger areas, battles in the dirty zones, and converts those chances.
At some point, the floodgates have to open, right? Once he sees the puck consistently find the back of the net, it could spark a run of some form. Currently, Cozens has an expected goals total of 7.4, but his goals above expected sits at minus-2.4. Both he and the organization are hoping that some positive puck luck will help him turn things around and get back on track.
Cozens Is Picking it up as of Late
Over the past three weeks, Cozens has noticeably stepped up his game. In his last 14 outings, he’s tallied six goals and two assists for eight points—a pace that would project to 47 points over a full 82-game season. That’s a significant improvement from the 35-point pace he’s currently on based on his season totals. Recently, Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff has played Cozens with Zach Benson which has worked well. He has also tried players like Peyton Krebs and Alex Tuch on his right wing, since having Quinn there hasn’t quite worked out.
There was a lot of optimism in the offseason that newly hired head coach Ruff could help Cozens rediscover the form that led to his breakout in the 2022-23 season. Though the start was rocky, it’s clear Ruff still has a great deal of trust in the young centerman. Despite Cozens’ slower-than-expected production, Ruff hasn’t hesitated to match him up against some of the NHL’s elite centers, including Dylan Larkin, Connor Bedard, and Aleksander Barkov. That level of trust speaks volumes about Cozens’ potential and the confidence Ruff has in his game. Ruff also made a statement by giving Cozens an “A” on the team’s home jerseys this season, further emphasizing his leadership both on and off the ice.
Trust the Process
At the end of the day, both Quinn and Cozens are still very young, with plenty of time to develop into the consistent players the Sabres expect them to be. Trading them based on their current struggles would be premature. Given their talent and past flashes of brilliance, it’s not hard to imagine them thriving elsewhere if Buffalo were to move on too soon. Let’s hit the brakes, give them more time, and trust that they’ll figure it out. The potential is there—we’ll see it again soon enough.
