Senators' Dylan Cozens gets real on time with Sabres after trade

On Tuesday, Ottawa will host the Sabres at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. This will mark the first time Cozens has faced his former team since the trade on March 7th. Before this showdown, he reflected on his time with Buffalo and the trade out of town.

“I thought I was going to be there for a long time,” Cozens told reporters on Monday, via Sportsnet. “I thought I was going to be a part of the solution, I dreamt every day about turning things around there and being a successful team and what it would be like. Obviously, it didn't work out and it is what it is. But I'm happy to be here and I'm very happy to be a Senator.”

Senators' Dylan Cozens is looking forward to Sabres clash

The Sabres and Senators enter this game on opposite ends of the playoff hunt. Ottawa is in pole position to make the postseason for the first time since 2017. In fact, they have a four-point lead over the Montreal Canadiens for the top Wild Card spot in the East.

The Sabres, meanwhile, have had a disappointing season. Buffalo sits in last place in the East, entering play Monday. They are three points back of the Philadelphia Flyers—who are on a five-game losing streak—for the second-to-last spot in the conference.

Overall, the game isn't the most high-stakes contest out there. Ottawa can clinch an 80+ point season and continue to put distance between themselves and the Canadiens with a win. However, the result of this contest won't move the needle for either side. In saying this, Cozens is looking forward to facing his old club in his old city.

“I'm excited,” he said, via Sportsnet. “It's going to be a little weird for sure. But I'm going to try not to overthink it. At the end of the day, it's just another game and a big two points we need.”