The Cozens Conundrum, 2024-25

[triumph_communes]

If we had an average PP right now everyone would be overjoyed with our progress

 

Cozens ain’t right since that fight gave him a concussion. No idea if he ever recovers. Sometimes concussions just screw you royally 

[mjd1001]

7 minutes ago, JohnC said:

I respectfully but strenuously disagree with the comparison where you put Risto in the same class as Cozens from a player and contract standpoint. Cozens is somewhat struggling and not producing offensive stats. But the effort and willingness to go to the dirty/tough areas is apparent. My suspicion is that he might be better suited as a winger. In the International Tournaments he has thrived on the wing against high end competition. That's one of my arguments why the Mitts trade was a bad deal for us. I thought putting Cozens on Quinn on the wings with Mitts centering made a lot of sense. 

I strongly recommend being a little more patient with him and even Quinn. The player that has perplexed me is Dahlin. He's simply not the same player that he was under Granato. Right now, it seems as if he is resorting back to the Krueger era being tied to a system instead of allowing his copious talent to take over. Maybe it is too much thinking and not enough free flowing???

The above bolded is exactly what Risto did too. He just went to those areas at the wrong times.  Like the forearm Cozens threw last night. He's willing to do that, but by doing so he took himself out of the play.

And as far as international tournaments, as stated above (or in another thread), in those tournaments the opposing teams (and his team) is slapped together, the guys don't really practice close to as much in the NHL, and there is significantly less scouting and system installs.  Its not "pond hockey" but it is closer to it the the NHL, and you don't get punished as much for playing a 'looser' style of hockey. Cozens thrives off of that 'loose' style. His one good year so far was the ONLY year where his coach openly said "go after it, score goals, we'll worry about defense later".

Again, Cozens could score 2 goals tonight and that puts him back on pace for 25+ for the year. Offense comes in bunches with a lot of players, I get that.  My biggest problem with him is just how bad he is away from the puck. I'm not an NHL coach, but in watching thousands of hockey games over my life, I have not seen a professional forward make as many mistakes, as many bad decisions without the puck as him.  I'm being serious there. I can't. And that concerns me because he is doing it a lot this year. He did it as a rookie, he did it last year, he has done it his entire career and I see very little sign of even a slight positive evolution in his game.

I want him to be better. I want him to start scoring obviously. I don't have a 'vendetta' against him because I want him to fail so my posts about him can be proven correct. If he ends up scoring 25-30 goals this year I'll be more than happy to have someone look up my negative posts about him and call me out. But I don't see it. I see a guy who is closing on 300 NHL games, going to be 24 years old soon and in his 5th year, with a LOT of prime ice time, and I don't know how much of a chance he has to get better than what he is now.

2 minutes ago, triumph_communes said:

If we had an average PP right now everyone would be overjoyed with our progress

 

Cozens ain’t right since that fight gave him a concussion. No idea if he ever recovers. Sometimes concussions just screw you royally 

The thing is, EVERY part of his game is the same as it was before the fight. He is getting the same number of shots (actually more). He is getting shots from the same part of the ice overall. Close to the same number of quality scoring chances.  Its just he's not scoring anymore.  His shooting percentage, on basically the same quality of shots, is less than half now after the fight than it was in the full season before. 

If it was lingering impacts from the fight, I can't square the circle of how it appears to have impacted no other part of his game other than his ability to put the puck in the net, his accuracy.

[Archie Lee]

17 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Not sure I've ever had this view of him and truthfully don't recall ppl saying that about him either. 

Also and this isn't directed at you specifically, there's a lot of blame being shifted off Cozens on to Quinn and Benson. Benson, has actually played fairly well, Cozens converted nothing Benson created. Quinn has been bad but putting Zucker there won't help impo. 

Speaking only for myself, the blame lies with an organization that thinks/thought the 3 of them together as a line (the 2nd line, no less) was a good idea. If they stay together they will have better games to be sure, just like Cozens, Peterka and Quinn from 2 years ago; but also just like that line from two years ago, there will be bad stretches where they will not be good enough for a coach to rely upon them in tough moments. 

Adams made his own bed here though*.  By promoting players too soon and putting them in situations where they have struggled to be successful, he has simultaneously put a losing product on the ice and depreciated the trade-value of some of these young assets who should already have been moved to make the team better

*For clarity, I also think Adams has his hands tied by Pegula’s EEE and is not in a position to spend what is ultimately needed. 

Edited Friday at 01:53 PM by Archie Lee

[Mr. Allen]

Apologies if it’s been brought up already, but didn’t he look really good playing in the tourney in the offseason?  Where’s that guy?

[JoeSchmoe]

Cozens was a +2 last night.

[inkman]

CTE or something off the ice could be an issue for Dylan.  He’s been bad since getting the beating of a lifetime.  If it didn’t scramble his brain, maybe he sought out things to settle his anxiety from the fight.  He looks like he’s playing with an altered conscience.  

[mjd1001]

3 hours ago, Mr. Allen said:

Apologies if it’s been brought up already, but didn’t he look really good playing in the tourney in the offseason?  Where’s that guy?

I posted this earlier in the thread...I can't see to link it here so I'll just copy and paste....

Just a theory here..

Cozens plays "pond hockey" He chases the puck. He's not good when you tell him to be someplace and to stay there.  He wants to play like a bunch of teenagers who have never played together.  That is who he is.  Hard on the puck, but all-gas-no-brakes, even when the situation may call for brakes.

That style doesn't go well in the NHL. When you are playing teams that are well coached, that have players that have practiced and played together for years, they can take advantage of Cozens playing that way.

Now think of the World Championships when he plays for Canada.  He may be playing against 'lesser' competition (not as many NHL stars on some teams). But even bigger than that, those teams are thrown together. They get a fraction of the time to practice together compared to what he sees in the NHL. The systems the coaches give them i'm sure are a lot 'looser'.

You can succeed in the World because it is much, much less discipline hockey, simply because the players don't know each other as well and don't get to practice together. Cozens can thrive in that environment. But when he's playing NHL players who are getting paid top dollar to play a very tight and discipline NHL game....Cozens doesn't play against that too well.

I'm sure other NHL teams have advanced scouts watching the Sabres, they see his tendencies, how he is one of the most undiscipline forwards on the team. They take advantage of that and I'm sure they probably have some set plays to work against him.  In the Worlds, I don't think that happens, again, not enough time.

[Idemo Buffalo]

Cozens got his first point last night and was +2.  Perhaps we should give the 23 year old a few games before running him out of town.

Dylan Cozens will be fine once the team gets rolling.

[Night Train]

He's an enigma. Hard to figure. 1 good year 2 years back but 3 years back and last year he seemed void of confidence. Scored the last 2 weeks of last season once eliminated and played well in the Worlds after. Is he a major headcase ? Seems that way. Hoping he wakes up and finds some line mates he can gell with . 

 

[mjd1001]

On 10/18/2024 at 3:10 PM, Idemo Buffalo said:

Cozens got his first point last night and was +2.  Perhaps we should give the 23 year old a few games before running him out of town.

Dylan Cozens will be fine once the team gets rolling.

Its never about his plus minus or assists for me with Cozens. It is about 2 things...how well he shoots/converts his chances, and his positioning (lack of it) when he doesn't have the puck.  90% of the problem I have with his game is those 2 things.

1.)  He still hasn't scored.  I personally need to see him shoot 10% or higher (minimum) to justify his expectations/salary

2.) I didn't notice any awful plays away from the puck last night, but one game where I don't see something....lets just say I need to see 5 or 6 games in a row before I even THINK he is getting those habits out of his system.

23 years old? Yeah, he COULD get better, but he's in his 5th season. He is approaching 300 games.  The defensive liability/bad decisions, you would think if he has the ability to learn/change you would see SIGNS of it now. And honestly, I am seeing him do just as many per game this year as any other year of his career.

I think many of us, maybe we don't put it into words that much but those are the only 2 parts of his game we need to see change.  It would be great if he could shoot 14% like he did a couple years ago, but bare minimum, 10%, AND don't be out of position so much and make bad decisions. Thats it. Its not happening.

I'm not asking for him to turn into a superstar. Just play somewhat smarter than he is without the puck (don't chase the puck and be out of position) and shoot 10% for the year.  Thats it. for a $7m that shouldn't be too much to ask.

Edited Saturday at 10:00 PM by mjd1001

[Doohicksie]