Sabres Trade Deadline Disposition – Dylan Cozens

With the trade deadline just eight days away, Buffalo Sabres GM Kevyn Adams has said he is not looking to be a seller and wants to make hockey deals that would bring back players currently in or ready to play in the NHL if he trades players currently on his roster with term remaining on his deal, such as center Dylan Cozens.

Despite winning six straight home games, the club has just a 2.6% chance of making the postseason. On top of dealing off veterans with expiring contracts (like wingers Jason Zucker and Jordan Greenway), if they cannot get them signed to team-friendly contract extensions, the Sabres struggles over the last couple seasons hint that a shake-up of their core group may be overdue.

Cozens is in his fifth season with Buffalo. He was selected 7th overall in the 2019 NHL Draft and signed to a seven-year contract extension in 2023 after posting a career-high 68 points (31 goals, 37 assists).

Since then, the 24-year-old offensive numbers have declined(18 goals in 2023-24, 11 goals in 56 games so far this season), which has led to his name being one of the more popular ones being mentioned in trade speculation. A right-handed center with three more seasons under contract at $7.1 million is a commodity that many teams would be interested in, but Adams is not in a position where he can trade Cozens for draft picks and prospects that many contenders are limited in offering.

The rumors of Buffalo dealing for Vancouver’s Elias Pettersson that involved Cozens heading to the Canucks is the only type of deal that Adams really can make with the club likely missing the playoffs for the 14th straight season. That deal would be similar to the Casey Mittelstadt - Bowen Byram trade with Colorado last March.

The Byram deal turned out to be a win for the Sabres, and if they are considering a move of another top-six center, Adams will have to be certain to get the better end of the swap.