Elliotte Friedman Reveals Young Sabres Forward is Wanted by Many Teams
PUBLICATION
Tom Banks
December 14, 2024 (4:02 PM)
Dylan Cozens has been a standout for the Sabres for quite some time, and now with the team struggling, it appears he's a hot commodity on the trade market.
The Buffalo Sabres have been looking to take huge steps forward in recent years, but unfortunately this young core has struggled once again in 2024/25, leaving question marks over the future in Buffalo.
Now, with those struggles comes trade speculation, with Elliotte Friedman noting that 23-year old centre Dylan Cozens is drawing plenty of interest on the market.
«Alright, some other stuff: Buffalo is getting calls on Dylan Cozens. This would terrify me if I were the Sabres, vultures circling overhead while player and team struggle. Right-shot centre, 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.»
Currently, the talented young star is signed for the next five years after 2024/25 with a cap hit of $7.1 million, showing just how valued he was on the open market for the Sabres to hand him that type of deal.
Moving Cozens would therefore become a huge risk because he is locked in long-term and is still yet to reach his prime, and if the Sabres do move him and it doesn't pay off (Jack Eichel, Sam Reinhart etc), it's yet another bad look for this organization.
In terms of interest, there should be at least 15 or more teams looking at Cozens, as contenders could unlock his potential around star players while another young core may be more patient with his development, making this a very intriguing situation in Buffalo.
One gets the sense that the Sabres could be open to moving him if the deal is right, but that comes with plenty of risk, so whatever they plan to do with Cozens, it could effect the organization for years to come.
POLL |
DECEMBRE 14 | 156 ANSWERS Elliotte Friedman Reveals Young Sabres Forward is Wanted by Many Teams Will the Sabres move Cozens this season? |
Yes | 107 | 68.6 % |
No | 49 | 31.4 % |
List of polls |
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