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

[Forecheck]

35 minutes ago, wsam4031 said:

nice to see here is Cozens playing well and shocking Norris has missed the last 5 games. wish i was suprised 

Everything this failed franchise does is predictable. Dozens playing good and becoming recharged for Ottawa, meanwhile Norris, with an oft-injured reputation can’t get on the ice for us due to, shocker, being again injured. 

[JohnC]

15 minutes ago, Forecheck said:

Everything this failed franchise does is predictable. Dozens playing good and becoming recharged for Ottawa, meanwhile Norris, with an oft-injured reputation can’t get on the ice for us due to, shocker, being again injured. 

He was injured when we dealt for him. He was playing hurt while with Ottawa, so we got a damaged player for a healthy player. It wouldn't be surprising if he finishes the season in the suite recuperating from a previous injury. The GM who contributed to digging this franchise is expected by the owner to be the person to dig us out. Anyone confident that he will accomplish that? 

[Pimlach]

On 3/24/2025 at 9:29 AM, Doohicksie said:

Hot take:  The Sabres win the trade not because of Norris, but because Bernard-Docker becomes the steady, top 4 RHD the Sabres need, complementing whoever he pairs with, be it Dahlin, Power or Byram.  He becomes the glue that solidifies the Sabres' top four.

Is this your hot take?  

To me he could be a solid 6/7 but I hope you are correct.  

[PerreaultForever]

1 hour ago, Forecheck said:

Everything this failed franchise does is predictable. Dozens playing good and becoming recharged for Ottawa, meanwhile Norris, with an oft-injured reputation can’t get on the ice for us due to, shocker, being again injured. 

and what's the injury? and why didn't they do a proper medical assessment before trading for him? Another cripple made of glass. 

[HumanSlinky39]

2 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

and what's the injury? and why didn't they do a proper medical assessment before trading for him? Another cripple made of glass. 

3/9 games he's played (counting tonight). If he was hurt when they traded for him, coupled with his already concerning injury history, that's just more gross incompetence by Adams. No serious hockey organization would move forward with a GM with KA's track record. I fear we will and we will see little action to improve the team this summer. We're stuck on a hamster wheel.

[Brawndo]

It’s a legitimate injury and it’s not his shoulders 

[Thorner]

Zach Bogosian 

[inkman]

38 minutes ago, Thorner said:

Zach Bogosian 

I buddy of mine pronounced it Bogo-Zye-On. I’ll never read it differently.  

[Doohickie]

6 hours ago, Pimlach said:

Is this your hot take?  

To me he could be a solid 6/7 but I hope you are correct.  

We've all seen how long some defensemen take to develop.  He's a first rounder; he's got potential upside that may be brought out with the change of scenery.

[PromoTheRobot]

On 3/24/2025 at 10:29 AM, Doohicksie said:

Hot take:  The Sabres win the trade not because of Norris, but because Bernard-Docker becomes the steady, top 4 RHD the Sabres need, complementing whoever he pairs with, be it Dahlin, Power or Byram.  He becomes the glue that solidifies the Sabres' top four.

Don't talk sense to people.

[LGR4GM]

1 game does not a good player make

[JohnC]

3 hours ago, Brawndo said:

It’s a legitimate injury and it’s not his shoulders 

What's an illegitimate injury? 

[Andrew Amerk]

2 hours ago, JohnC said:

What's an illegitimate injury? 

Cavities 

[North Buffalo]

2 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

1 game does not a good player make

2 just sayin

[PerreaultForever]

4 hours ago, Doohicksie said:

We've all seen how long some defensemen take to develop.  He's a first rounder; he's got potential upside that may be brought out with the change of scenery.

Maybe but this is just Adams getting an RFA depth D man for his UFA depth D man. Adams likes that element of control for obvious reasons. 

The thing about the trade that boggled the minds of Ottawa fans was why Buffalo also gave up a 2nd round pick. They all seemed to feel this was a crazy win for them. 

[tom webster]

1 hour ago, PerreaultForever said:

Maybe but this is just Adams getting an RFA depth D man for his UFA depth D man. Adams likes that element of control for obvious reasons. 

The thing about the trade that boggled the minds of Ottawa fans was why Buffalo also gave up a 2nd round pick. They all seemed to feel this was a crazy win for them. 

This take is from the same Canadian “insiders” who couldn’t understand how Buffalo gave up Savoie for McLoud. They have inflated opinion of guys that they were formerly high on.

Buffalo gave up a second in 2026 because they got the two better players. Time will bear that out. One thing for sure though, no one will now how good that second round pick will be for five years. 

[LGR4GM]

3 hours ago, tom webster said:

This take is from the same Canadian “insiders” who couldn’t understand how Buffalo gave up Savoie for McLoud. They have inflated opinion of guys that they were formerly high on.

Buffalo gave up a second in 2026 because they got the two better players. Time will bear that out. One thing for sure though, no one will now how good that second round pick will be for five years. 

The media going into last night's game was still lambasting Buffalo over the trade. 

It's funny though, the same media is silent on the Savoie trade now.

 

[JohnC]

7 hours ago, Andrew Amerk said:

Cavities 

The candy industry doesn’t agree with you.😀

[shrader]

3 hours ago, tom webster said:

This take is from the same Canadian “insiders” who couldn’t understand how Buffalo gave up Savoie for McLoud. They have inflated opinion of guys that they were formerly high on.

Buffalo gave up a second in 2026 because they got the two better players. Time will bear that out. One thing for sure though, no one will now how good that second round pick will be for five years. 

And let’s not forget that this inflated opinion is about a Canadian as opposed to the American the Sabres added. 
 

But then the Sabres added a Canadian defenseman, so they should love that part. 

[Doohickie]

9 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

1 game does not a good player make

I'm not saying he is; I'm saying I predict that down the road he will be.

[PickaPecaPickles]

18 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

I'm not saying he is; I'm saying I predict that down the road he will be.

Are the Sabres the only team in the league with 4 first round picks on their D (2 picked #1 overall)?

[One might also consider Samuelson a R1 pick too since he was taken at #32.]

[mjd1001]

Bernard-Docker has some points early and that is good...but I still need to see a lot more from him.  I am rooting for him to be good of course, but when I watch him play, I don't really see anything yet other than a 3rd pair/7th guy.

Still happy with the trade overall.  I think the team needed to move on from Cozens....and Norris?  If he has something lingering shut him down.  Get him as healthy as he has been in years even if that means we don't see much of him until next season.

[Pimlach]

5 hours ago, tom webster said:

This take is from the same Canadian “insiders” who couldn’t understand how Buffalo gave up Savoie for McLoud. They have inflated opinion of guys that they were formerly high on.

Buffalo gave up a second in 2026 because they got the two better players. Time will bear that out. One thing for sure though, no one will now how good that second round pick will be for five years. 

 

1 hour ago, shrader said:

And let’s not forget that this inflated opinion is about a Canadian as opposed to the American the Sabres added. 
 

But then the Sabres added a Canadian defenseman, so they should love that part. 

So there is a bias toward Canadian players?  

[Doohickie]

52 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

I am rooting for him to be good of course, but when I watch him play, I don't really see anything yet other than a 3rd pair/7th guy.

He seems to mesh well with Dahlin.  Maybe this frees up Byram to pair with Power to set up two solid defensive pairings (1A and 1B rather than 1 and 2), especially from the offensive side.

[inkman]

12 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

1 game does not a good player make

Steve “Bear” Bernier disagrees