What do you expect from: #24 Dylan Cozens?

[dudacek]

As the losses continue to mount, the hype surrounding the Sabres recent top picks has faded. Dylan Cozens is the exception.

Fast, hard-working, physical and fearless, "the Workhorse from Whitehorse" — who slipped out of the top 5 to the Sabres at #7 in 2019 — embodies many of the qualities the fan base is desperately thirsting for.

His development curve has pointed straight up as his production increased over three straight WHL seasons and two World Junior championships. His mix of talent, speed, size and effort have earned him universal praise as a sure-fire NHLer, leaving only the question of "how good?"

https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=197770

Cozens blew the doors off the World Junior championships last year with the fifth-most productive tournament in Team Canada history, one point behind Gretzky and Lindros, and graduated directly to the Sabres.

Despite earning plaudits for his effort, he hit a wall with the big club, scoring just one goal over his final 29 games, and finishing the season with zero points and a -9 over his final 8 games.

What do you expect from Cozens this season?

Edited September 26, 2021 by dudacek

[Buffalonill]

Yeah im sorry im going to be that guy :/..

no vet center to help i see a crash a burn effect  He's gonna think he has the weight on his shoulders and it's going to hurt his development

 

 

[Pimlach]

A positive season.   40 points won’t surprise me.  
 

He needs top cover. I don’t want him fighting a lot.  I would have a few players on the roster that are willing to protect our young players.   I guess that makes me old school but so be it.  I’m not asking for goons.  Just players that will back each other up all the time. 

[Buffalonill]

4 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

A positive season.   40 points won’t surprise me.  
 

He needs top cover. I don’t want him fighting a lot.  I would have a few players on the roster that are willing to protect our young players.   I guess that makes me old school but so be it.  I’m not asking for goons.  Just players that will back each other up all the time. 

I don't want him fighting at all he needs to stay on the ice and not risk a stupid injury 

Edited September 26, 2021 by Buffalonill

[nfreeman]

My deep dark fear is that he turns out to be Tim Connolly redux — not with a similar game, but rather a guy whose game you love to watch but just can’t stay healthy.

He’s already been injured a couple of times since becoming a Sabre/Amerk IIRC (concussion — speaking of Connolly — and broken thumb I think), and as I mentioned in the Bills thread, I saw him and a bunch of the other Sabres at the Bills opener and I was surprised and how skinny he was.

Hopefully I’m just paranoid and out to lunch on this.  It wouldn’t be the first time.  If he stays healthy I think he’s going to be a great Sabre.  

[Weave]

30-40 pts and overmatched often, and substandard wingers preventing him from showing more.

[Digger]

He's a high character player with talent.  You can't teach character and values at this level.  I think that he was raised by good parents and coming from the Yukon I imagine he's had to work very hard to get where he is today.  He will surprise and be a great Sabre for many years to come.

[dudacek]

I love Cozens and have no doubt that he will be good NHLer for a long time.

I am really worried about his coming season.

The Sabres desperately need someone to step up as a leader up front. Cozens desperately wants to be that someone. I saw nothing in his NHL game last season to show me he was any more ready for that role than Casey Mittelstadt was when ROR was traded and I am scared that combination of factors will lead to plenty of frustration and a similar result.

The lack of insulation and support for Cozens is among Kevyn Adams most questionable moves this summer.

Dylan is a talent though, and has pro habits at 20 that Casey did not, which gives me some hope he will overcome.

Edited September 26, 2021 by dudacek

[mjd1001]

I'll say the middle choice, but I think we might be someplace between choice 2 and 3.  Not that he will be a long term bust at all, but I think on this forum the expectations for him are a bit too high/too soon with some people.

[Curt]

I think he’ll have a season that some find disappointing.  Low 30’s points, maybe less if he gets injured.  I think he’ll look more like a bottom 6 grinder than a star.

Long term, I still think he will be a good top-6 forward.

[SHAAAUGHT!!!]

20 hours ago, dudacek said:

I love Cozens and have no doubt that he will be good NHLer for a long time.

I am really worried about his coming season.

The Sabres desperately need someone to step up as a leader up front. Cozens desperately wants to be that someone. I saw nothing in his NHL game last season to show me he was any more ready for that role than Casey Mittelstadt was when ROR was traded and I am scared that combination of factors will lead to plenty of frustration and a similar result.

The lack of insulation and support for Cozens is among Kevyn Adams most questionable moves this summer.

Dylan is a talent though, and has pro habits at 20 that Casey did not, which gives me some hope he will overcome.

I share your concern but this was a different offseason for Cozens.  He was in Ontario training with other NHL'ers and I think he is going to start the season hot and with a lot of confidence.  It's up to Granato and Co. to make sure they put him in a position to grow and succeed, and that depends on how well Okposo, Girgs, and +1 do in their shutdown role.  I think/hope Cozens gets more key minutes on the ice than Casey does, scores around 18, and get's over 30 helpers playing with Skinner and Olofsson.  

[Weave]

6 minutes ago, SHAAAUGHT!!! said:

I share your concern but this was a different offseason for Cozens.  He was in Ontario training with other NHL'ers and I think he is going to start the season hot and with a lot of confidence.  It's up to Granato and Co. to make sure they put him in a position to grow and succeed, and that depends on how well Okposo, Girgs, and +1 do in their shutdown role.  I think/hope Cozens gets more key minutes on the ice than Casey does, scores around 18, and get's over 30 helpers playing with Skinner and Olofsson.  

That would be about an ideal season for Cozens.  Yes please.

[Taro T]

21 hours ago, nfreeman said:

My deep dark fear is that he turns out to be Tim Connolly redux — not with a similar game, but rather a guy whose game you love to watch but just can’t stay healthy.

He’s already been injured a couple of times since becoming a Sabre/Amerk IIRC (concussion — speaking of Connolly — and broken thumb I think), and as I mentioned in the Bills thread, I saw him and a bunch of the other Sabres at the Bills opener and I was surprised and how skinny he was.

Hopefully I’m just paranoid and out to lunch on this.  It wouldn’t be the first time.  If he stays healthy I think he’s going to be a great Sabre.  

Not that worried about him being injury prone LT as the broken finger was a fluke & the rest of his injuries were from playing a man's style game against men while having an 18 yo's body.  Hate that he'll be getting 2nd line usage & even less pleased that that 2nd line will be fairly interchangeable w/ the 1st line as he'll still likely find himself physically overeat he'd even though he's very big for a teenager.  Were he not driving the 2nd line would've expected points in the 40's.  Probably won't quite get there unless Skinner gets back to at least a 25 goal winger.

So, guess am going w/ option 2.

[postseasonblues]

On 9/26/2021 at 12:23 PM, nfreeman said:

My deep dark fear is that he turns out to be Tim Connolly redux — not with a similar game, but rather a guy whose game you love to watch but just can’t stay healthy.

He’s already been injured a couple of times since becoming a Sabre/Amerk IIRC (concussion — speaking of Connolly — and broken thumb I think), and as I mentioned in the Bills thread, I saw him and a bunch of the other Sabres at the Bills opener and I was surprised and how skinny he was.

Hopefully I’m just paranoid and out to lunch on this.  It wouldn’t be the first time.  If he stays healthy I think he’s going to be a great Sabre.  

Strange take and for many years now, most skill players look like like bicycle racers without their pads.

[PerreaultForever]

I want him to ascend, and I think he wants it too, but I fear a big step back as we ask for too much and put him in a top role too soon. Bad habits and frustrations may develop rather than his skills. He may have the character to overcome it, but he's going to need a lot of coaching and veteran mentoring (but I don't know if we have any veterans worth anything to do that). 

[Norcal]

I think he'll be up and down this season but show enough to get fans excited about his future.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

He will become the #1 C that we have always wanted.  The exact opposite of John.

Yup.  This season.

[Buffalonill]

Didn't look good yesterday  Hopefully Buffalo has a backup plan if they have to send him to the AHL 

On 9/28/2021 at 1:28 PM, New Scotland (NS) said:

He will become the #1 C that we have always wanted.  The exact opposite of John.

Yup.  This season.

What do you mean by this ? 

[Sabres Fan in NS]

22 minutes ago, Buffalonill said:

Didn't look good yesterday  Hopefully Buffalo has a backup plan if they have to send him to the AHL 

What do you mean by this ? 

He will not be going to the AHL.  He will be fine.  He will be finer than fine.

It's well understood that John is not a leader of men.  He is not a team first guy by most accounts.  Dylan seems to be both.

[triumph_communes]

SLuMP

[Buffalonill]

1 hour ago, New Scotland (NS) said:

He will not be going to the AHL.  He will be fine.  He will be finer than fine.

It's well understood that John is not a leader of men.  He is not a team first guy by most accounts.  Dylan seems to be both.

Really?  Just because of this surgery nonsense you think Jack was a bad leader?   The organization did nothing to help his team succeed and you're blaming him ? 

[Crusader1969]

I think they should keep the line of 

Pekkera   Cozens and Quinn together 

a few games with Buffalo to start the season

ahl Nov to the end of the Olympic break. 
 

assuming they are doing well in Rochester , bring them up to Buffalo for the remainder of season.  Back to Rochester for playoffs 

let Dylan put up points and dominate at a lower level. Plus less time dealing with the 12 car pileup that the Sabres are going to be 

[Andrew Amerk]

26 minutes ago, Crusader1969 said:

I think they should keep the line of 

Pekkera   Cozens and Quinn together 

a few games with Buffalo to start the season

ahl Nov to the end of the Olympic break. 
 

assuming they are doing well in Rochester , bring them up to Buffalo for the remainder of season.  Back to Rochester for playoffs 

let Dylan put up points and dominate at a lower level. Plus less time dealing with the 12 car pileup that the Sabres are going to be 

In starting to think you might be onto something. Cozens has not been impressive thus far in preseason. 

It might be super silly to start him at 1C this year. I can appreciate the idea of letting him learn, but getting overmatched nightly might not be the best idea for his development. 

[mjd1001]

10 hours ago, Crusader1969 said:

I think they should keep the line of 

Pekkera   Cozens and Quinn together 

a few games with Buffalo to start the season

ahl Nov to the end of the Olympic break. 
 

assuming they are doing well in Rochester , bring them up to Buffalo for the remainder of season.  Back to Rochester for playoffs 

let Dylan put up points and dominate at a lower level. Plus less time dealing with the 12 car pileup that the Sabres are going to be 

Agreed on Rochester.

I think all of the young guy should be in Rochester until they are banging down the door to come up.  Don't bring them up when you "think they MIGHT be ready" or after they have "a few good games in Rochester".  When they are playing like legit AHL all stars, THAT is when you bring them up.

I know the fans in Buffalo want to see the young guys play, but we have seen TOO many players in Buffalo before they were ready.  And I know this gets brought up quite a bit, but it is a legit question.....can you tell me any players that 'could have been stars' but they spent TOO much time in the AHL?

[Weave]

50 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

Agreed on Rochester.

I think all of the young guy should be in Rochester until they are banging down the door to come up.  Don't bring them up when you "think they MIGHT be ready" or after they have "a few good games in Rochester".  When they are playing like legit AHL all stars, THAT is when you bring them up.

I know the fans in Buffalo want to see the young guys play, but we have seen TOO many players in Buffalo before they were ready.  And I know this gets brought up quite a bit, but it is a legit question.....can you tell me any players that 'could have been stars' but they spent TOO much time in the AHL?

Last season Cozens was “banging down the door” in preseason.

I think he’s got some jitters.