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Sabres Trade Dylan Cozens/Dennis Gilbert and 2026 2nd Round Pick to Ottawa for Josh Norris and Bernard Docker

Brawndo

By Brawndo
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GASabresIUFAN Hall of Famer

GASabresIUFAN

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Posted
13 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

I could be wrong, he might just suck, but I think he will thrive in Ottawa. 

He is a career 8.2% shooter outside of his career year.  That isn't going to change in Ottawa.  

Archie Lee Third Liner

Archie Lee

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Posted

I don’t have any real issue with these trades. In the end they mostly amount to change of scenery deals and we will see how they turnout.

I wasn’t expecting anything. Still, it’s a bit disappointing when a window closes and we have again not made a move that obviously upgrades the NHL roster. I don’t think we did anything today that gets us more than a slight increment closer, if that, to being a playoff team. 

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FrenchConnection44 Fourth Liner

FrenchConnection44

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Posted
1 hour ago, Pimlach said:

I pretty much saw he checked out on the Sabres in that game.  Normally he jumps into the fray.  Adam’s probably told him he was shopping him.  


Even with that, even if he knew he was gone you still gotta go to war with your teammates! Especially your captain but all of them! That is exactly not the kind of player we need. 
 

It’s the quintessential example, of course, but imagine if that were Tkachuk on the ice in Cozens position! Mayhem. 

He seemed a couple of years ago like he was starting to be a little bit tougher and a standup guy. In his real good season for us when we scored a ton two years ago and he had 31. 

But I really think his career here at Buffalo changed after he got hammered in that fight last year. I think that had a huge negative psychological effect on him. He has never been the same since. He’s not really a fighter but he’s no McDavid or Kucherov either, so he has to be more in the mix physically. 

Weave Hall of Famer

Weave

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Posted
32 minutes ago, FrenchConnection44 said:


Even with that, even if he knew he was gone you still gotta go to war with your teammates! Especially your captain but all of them! That is exactly not the kind of player we need. 
 

It’s the quintessential example, of course, but imagine if that were Tkachuk on the ice in Cozens position! Mayhem. 

He seemed a couple of years ago like he was starting to be a little bit tougher and a standup guy. In his real good season for us when we scored a ton two years ago and he had 31. 

But I really think his career here at Buffalo changed after he got hammered in that fight last year. I think that had a huge negative psychological effect on him. He has never been the same since. He’s not really a fighter but he’s no McDavid or Kucherov either, so he has to be more in the mix physically. 

What strikes me is, no one went to bat for Cozens either.  Granted, he started that altercation, but there was noone here to have his back either.  That gets old.

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HumanSlinky39 Second Liner

HumanSlinky39

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Posted (edited)
27 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

This trade is fine in isolation but like... how does this make us a playoff team? We need more. 

We need a lot more, but I don't think the intention today was ever going  to be large scale improvement. That needs to come this summer and hopefully with a new (competent) GM.

The Cozens situation was becoming untenable. He wasn't going to get better here and his value was sinking by the game. How much it helps the Sabres will depend on how healthy Norris can stay. But, the bar is pretty low as Cozens hasn't contributed much offense in two years and his defense seemed to be continually deteriorating. Maybe he gets better in OTT, but as somebody pointed out earlier, take away his good 2022/23 season and his shooting percentage is terrible. I don't see how that improves with the Sens. He needs to get tougher and go to the net more because he can't shoot and has no finish. He needs to be a rebound merchant and work on his defensive game.

Extending Zucker likely has a positive short term impact both on the ice and in the locker room. 

Jokiharju was just unloading a guy who had fallen out of favor and was gone this summer anyway. I don't know what happened to him. I thought he was pretty solid his first couple of seasons here, but he's been mostly bad the last two. That's an alarming trend with a lot of these guys.

That's a lot of words to say today was about moves that had to happen. This summer should be about cleaning house and making the moves that should happen. I have my doubts much change occurs, but I'm holding out hope Pegula realizes this current rebuild stalled out and it's time to go in another direction...again.

Edited by HumanSlinky39
PerreaultForever All Star

PerreaultForever

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, thewookie1 said:

He’ll at very least have a spurt of play where he looks great. Who knows though if he actually corrects his mistakes 

Ottawa has a different locker room and a different attitude. It will be interesting to see if they can bring out the compete in him. 

Broken Ankles Third Liner

Broken Ankles

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https://www.audacy.com/podcast/schopp-and-bulldog-dcf5d

Adam's presser starts around the 1:15 mark.   One of the lamest comments that speaks volumes about Adams is when Harrington asked about the conversation in Montreal.  He avoids directly answering the question and instead says "What Terry said was impressive".  That's what you're going with Kev?   Impressive?  Impressive was how the Canadians destroyed your team that night immediately after speaking to them.   Impressive was losing three more games in a row after that speech, all to divisional opponents.  Impressive is how you still have a job and more so, were allowed to make a hockey trade today. 

   Also asked about having room for UFA's this summer or being a Cap team - and he said it was a possibility or they could be.  First mentioning how they just took on cap with the Norris trade... checks notes - they also dumped Joki's salary, so the net savings was $3M.  Adams goes on to mention that while the "narrative" is we have too many Entry Level Contracts (b/c you do and Ferraro called you on the carpet last night on ESPN about it), those ELC's will "jump up pretty fast".  If the answer is to bring back Quinn, Byrum, JJP and McLeod then let's just save ourselves the time and pain and call it 15 years of suffering.    And the projected space is $24M (including the $4.4M for Skinner's buyout).  I don't see those 4 being $24M.  

 I'm good with a change of scenery trade. Possible the 2026 2nd isn't going to be in the top 35 overall.  Maybe the Sabres get lucky in the Draft lottery and pull a top-flight Center for the future and maybe Norris stays healthy and the scoring continues to grow.  But this guy is a f*cking MUPPET.  No way he could even get an assistant GM position anywhere in the League if Terry sold the team and he's out on the street. 

 

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Turbo44 Top Prospect

Turbo44

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

This trade is fine in isolation but like... how does this make us a playoff team? We need more. To

to be a playoff team he needs to “find” a top 4 RHD, hope Levi turns into a #1 goalie and find 2 more zuckers in the off season. Zucker and McLeod turn our as good as could be expected but UPL ain’t it

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Flashsabre First Liner

Flashsabre

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Posted
12 minutes ago, Broken Ankles said:

https://www.audacy.com/podcast/schopp-and-bulldog-dcf5d

Adam's presser starts around the 1:15 mark.   One of the lamest comments that speaks volumes about Adams is when Harrington asked about the conversation in Montreal.  He avoids directly answering the question and instead says "What Terry said was impressive".  That's what you're going with Kev?   Impressive?  Impressive was how the Canadians destroyed your team that night immediately after speaking to them.   Impressive was losing three more games in a row after that speech, all to divisional opponents.  Impressive is how you still have a job and more so, were allowed to make a hockey trade today. 

   Also asked about having room for UFA's this summer or being a Cap team - and he said it was a possibility or they could be.  First mentioning how they just took on cap with the Norris trade... checks notes - they also dumped Joki's salary, so the net savings was $3M.  Adams goes on to mention that while the "narrative" is we have too many Entry Level Contracts (b/c you do and Ferraro called you on the carpet last night on ESPN about it), those ELC's will "jump up pretty fast".  If the answer is to bring back Quinn, Byrum, JJP and McLeod then let's just save ourselves the time and pain and call it 15 years of suffering.    And the projected space is $24M (including the $4.4M for Skinner's buyout).  I don't see those 4 being $24M.  

 I'm good with a change of scenery trade. Possible the 2026 2nd isn't going to be in the top 35 overall.  Maybe the Sabres get lucky in the Draft lottery and pull a top-flight Center for the future and maybe Norris stays healthy and the scoring continues to grow.  But this guy is a f*cking MUPPET.  No way he could even get an assistant GM position anywhere in the League if Terry sold the team and he's out on the street. 

 

Deep down Adams knows he owes everything to Terry because no other organization would let him near their front office. He always goes out of his was to thank Terry or kiss his ass. 
 

The reality is he is 5 years in and has no idea what he’s doing. There is no plan to improve the team.

Look back at last offseason. The 4th line and Lindy as coach with no assistant coach moves and thought that was good enough to push this team to the playoffs. 

Second Line Center Fourth Liner

Second Line Center

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I’m bummed about this.  
 

Still a big fan of Cozens and think this roster just being poorly constructed impacted him - needed linemates to elevate him not the other way around.  
 

Now …. I do think a lot of that is on Cozens.  This trade also tells me Adams felt like if there were any players that checked out after the Donnie firing and bringing in Lindy - it was Cozens.  Maybe Dylan was ticked Adams said they don’t work hard enough and Cozens got offended by that.  Being lumped in publicly as a team that lacked accountability.   
 


 

I think next to Brady Tkachuk is the exact perfect landing spot for him.  
 

Just disgusted we couldn’t find a version of that type of player to get into our top 6.  Not as good as Brady but that caliber.  

Forecheck Third Liner

Forecheck

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And now it’s finally time to turn the page to the annual “look forward to the summer” moves that never come from Adams. I won’t hold my breath. 
What I am actually looking forward to is the summer of maybe 2027 or 2028, just after Adams’ has been whacked. Then maybe major moves will finally occur. Maybe. 

_Q_ Prospect

_Q_

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Posted
Just now, DarthEbriate said:

My two questions through the end of the season are:

1) How quickly does Ottawa move Cozens to the wing?

2) Does Norris play soundly enough at center that the Sabres suddenly ice an actual NHL 2nd line? 

That could be a win win for both.

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LGR4GM Hall of Famer

LGR4GM

Posted
Posted
23 minutes ago, DarthEbriate said:

My two questions through the end of the season are:

1) How quickly does Ottawa move Cozens to the wing?

2) Does Norris play soundly enough at center that the Sabres suddenly ice an actual NHL 2nd line? 

I think we can answer #2, Norris is a legit center and will at minimum be buffalo's 2nd line C.

Thorner Hall of Famer

Thorner

Posted
Posted (edited)
2 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

This trade is fine in isolation but like... how does this make us a playoff team? We need more. 

It seems more less lateral, with a hope it breaks in your favour. Even best case scenario you’d think maybe he amounts to OLD cozens - and that was a roster in need at said time. People saying we took a step forward today are I think losing sight of how many steps we took back that we need to make up first 

Edited by Thorner

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