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

[LGR4GM]

What if this trade works for both teams?

[PerreaultForever]

30 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Lol, oh yea 1a and 1shot

"Here we go again" ... lol

Did you watch the game or did you just want to be your usual smug self?

He was good. They won. 

[freester]

Cozens was terrible on the power play. In fact Lindy is to blame for even allowing Cozens on the power play. I predict our PP will be much improved now.  

[Pimlach]

5 hours ago, krakensabr56390 said:

They insinuated he was a rugged 2 way fighting center great at defense - none of which had been true for 2+ years obviously. A lot of narratives not based in reality I mean for gods sake kotakiemi kicked his butt in a fight which is just embarrassing 

Worse, Kotakiiemi knew who was lined up against and planned to make a statement to fire his team that was on a losing streak. 
 

I would love to know who first said “we are going on puck drop”, Cozens knew the fight was coming.  

[LGR4GM]

52 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

Did you watch the game or did you just want to be your usual smug self?

He was good. They won. 

He was his normal self with a couple extra hits. He was on the bench when they won. 

[thewookie1]

58 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

Did you watch the game or did you just want to be your usual smug self?

He was good. They won. 

He didn’t seem any more good or bad than usual; a bit more pep in his step but his 9 hits were more akin to 3

[SABRES 0311]

It was a good thing to get rid of Cozens. With the number of games he has and years in the league, what you see is what he is. Third liner who is not a good special teams guy.

He’ll likely play for a handful of other teams before he’s done. Not all guys pan out to what they could’ve been.

[PerreaultForever]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

He was his normal self with a couple extra hits. He was on the bench when they won. 

I didn't see it that way and the announcer both in that game and the ESPN guys talking about it later all thought he played well but no need to get into it. Time will tell. 

Three questions for you to see if we agree or disagree on anything. Can you answer these agree or disagree.

1) Cozens has not been the same since the Hathaway fight - agree or disagree

2) Adams did not do anything that makes the team better than it was - agree or disagree

3) Adams should be fired - agree or disagree

[LGR4GM]

1 minute ago, PerreaultForever said:

I didn't see it that way and the announcer both in that game and the ESPN guys talking about it later all thought he played well but no need to get into it. Time will tell. 

Three questions for you to see if we agree or disagree on anything. Can you answer these agree or disagree.

1) Cozens has not been the same since the Hathaway fight - agree or disagree

2) Adams did not do anything that makes the team better than it was - agree or disagree

3) Adams should be fired - agree or disagree

I personally don't care what announcers say. 

1. Disagree, he's always had bad underlying numbers

2. Yea, the teams basically the same

3. Yea. 

[PerreaultForever]

26 minutes ago, SABRES 0311 said:

It was a good thing to get rid of Cozens. With the number of games he has and years in the league, what you see is what he is. Third liner who is not a good special teams guy.

He’ll likely play for a handful of other teams before he’s done. Not all guys pan out to what they could’ve been.

I disagree and I'm going to give you another theory on it all. 

Go watch the Hathaway fight. Watch his reaction after it. Why?

Now consider this. In his mind (stress this, it's his view I'm trying to get at not mine or yours) nobody came to his aid. Nobody avenged him. He had to stand alone with a tough guy and he got done in. After that, he thinks why should I try? Then we wonder why he doesn't stand up for Dahlin or another team mate. So he played his way off the team. Consider it and think about it if he thrives in Ottawa. 

This is my theory on him and until proven wrong I'm sticking with it. If he still sucks in Ottawa well then it meant nothing and he just stinks. 

[SABRES 0311]

20 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

I disagree and I'm going to give you another theory on it all. 

Go watch the Hathaway fight. Watch his reaction after it. Why?

Now consider this. In his mind (stress this, it's his view I'm trying to get at not mine or yours) nobody came to his aid. Nobody avenged him. He had to stand alone with a tough guy and he got done in. After that, he thinks why should I try? Then we wonder why he doesn't stand up for Dahlin or another team mate. So he played his way off the team. Consider it and think about it if he thrives in Ottawa. 

This is my theory on him and until proven wrong I'm sticking with it. If he still sucks in Ottawa well then it meant nothing and he just stinks. 

I don’t think he got anything done against Hathaway other than show Hathaway could do what he wants since the only guy willing to fight sucks at it.

i think Cozens took that fight because he believed his willingness to fight made him a capable fighter.

If his mindset was as you suggest then he was definitely part of a team problem. Instead of him thinking what’s the point, he could have been a leader and pushed the team to change. All he did was use some buzz words in interviews.

However I think you are correct that he looked at it as a futile effort and stopped caring. The problem is he has stone hands, doesn’t process the offensive side of the game well, and gets sucked in on defense. If he brought above average talents to the table I would see his departure as a loss.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Maybe this insanity will work?

 

[kas23]

37 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

I disagree and I'm going to give you another theory on it all. 

Go watch the Hathaway fight. Watch his reaction after it. Why?

Now consider this. In his mind (stress this, it's his view I'm trying to get at not mine or yours) nobody came to his aid. Nobody avenged him. He had to stand alone with a tough guy and he got done in. After that, he thinks why should I try? Then we wonder why he doesn't stand up for Dahlin or another team mate. So he played his way off the team. Consider it and think about it if he thrives in Ottawa. 

This is my theory on him and until proven wrong I'm sticking with it. If he still sucks in Ottawa well then it meant nothing and he just stinks. 

Why should he try? If this is what he was thinking after signing a $49M contract 8 months prior, then it definitely was in the team’s best interest to ship him out. No one wass asking him to be a high-paid punching bag, but no one is asking that of Dahlin either. 

[Weave]

On 3/7/2025 at 7:08 PM, Weave said:

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.

Seems familiar…..

4 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

I disagree and I'm going to give you another theory on it all. 

Go watch the Hathaway fight. Watch his reaction after it. Why?

Now consider this. In his mind (stress this, it's his view I'm trying to get at not mine or yours) nobody came to his aid. Nobody avenged him. He had to stand alone with a tough guy and he got done in. After that, he thinks why should I try? Then we wonder why he doesn't stand up for Dahlin or another team mate. So he played his way off the team. Consider it and think about it if he thrives in Ottawa. 

This is my theory on him and until proven wrong I'm sticking with it. If he still sucks in Ottawa well then it meant nothing and he just stinks. 

 

[PerreaultForever]

4 hours ago, SABRES 0311 said:

However I think you are correct that he looked at it as a futile effort and stopped caring. The problem is he has stone hands, doesn’t process the offensive side of the game well, and gets sucked in on defense. If he brought above average talents to the table I would see his departure as a loss.

So if that's it what you have is a franchise that didn't evaluate their talent properly, rewarded him too early and too much and asked him to do too much accordingly. You can't just make people leaders by deciding you think they will become them, you have to have actual leaders. 

[SABRES 0311]

31 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

So if that's it what you have is a franchise that didn't evaluate their talent properly, rewarded him too early and too much and asked him to do too much accordingly. You can't just make people leaders by deciding you think they will become them, you have to have actual leaders. 

And Cozens is not a team leader yet in his career. Nor is he overly talented.

[Pimlach]

7 hours ago, SABRES 0311 said:

And Cozens is not a team leader yet in his career. Nor is he overly talented.

The Sabres considered him a team leader since he was 21.  Shameful organization. 
 

Many of the fans here said “give him the C” during his 31 goal season. 

[JohnC]

52 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

The Sabres considered him a team leader since he was 21.  Shameful organization. 
 

Many of the fans here said “give him the C” during his 31 goal season. 

The Cozens evaluation is going to be interesting now that he is in different environment. If he becomes an effective player with his new team, then that would be an indictment of the franchise that he left. There is no question that Cozens was playing under stress, and the pressure was getting to him. If he turns it around and becomes a factor for his new team, then that is a commentary on the franchise he left. 

[Believer]

9 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

You can't just make people leaders by deciding you think they will become them, you have to have actual leaders. 

Think only Tuch and perhaps Thompson are natural born leaders.

Dahlin is a terrific D Man who leads by his hardworking example. 

A change in the C would do the team and Dahlin some good, imo.

 

[Pimlach]

15 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

I disagree and I'm going to give you another theory on it all. 

Go watch the Hathaway fight. Watch his reaction after it. Why?

Now consider this. In his mind (stress this, it's his view I'm trying to get at not mine or yours) nobody came to his aid. Nobody avenged him. He had to stand alone with a tough guy and he got done in. After that, he thinks why should I try? Then we wonder why he doesn't stand up for Dahlin or another team mate. So he played his way off the team. Consider it and think about it if he thrives in Ottawa. 

This is my theory on him and until proven wrong I'm sticking with it. If he still sucks in Ottawa well then it meant nothing and he just stinks. 

How many times in the modern NHL do real hockey fights happen, let alone two.   No one was looking for a Donnybrook with the score 5-1 and the time almost out. 

Looking at the replay, Cozens gets hit, he didn’t like it and crossed checked Hathaway in the back.  Hathaway looks up and sees they are going off and decides to engage Cozens.  Cozens mistake was he picked the wrong dance partner and he thought he was just going to push and shove with the gloves on.  Hathaway drops the gloves and then totaled Cozens. 

Johnson came in to help during the pushing and a linesman clears him out, he let them fight to get them off.  In today’s game you rarely ever see other players squaring off during a flight -  with gloves off, and wrestling with another player, and then a second fight starts.  That is removed from the game, gloves off is a penalty today. 

The immaturity of Cozens comes through when he slams the metal ladder on his way to the dressing room. 

After all this he is forced to play with a plastic face shield and it affected his played for a few weeks but after that he was ok.  He had some periods of both good and bad play. 

The lost fight is not a reason for his longer term issues.  I will concede that the team makeup, lots of young kids playing against grown men, makes it harder for our kids to get comfortable out there.  They are intimidated physically and mentally.  A big Adams mistake that he refuses to properly address.  

Part of Cozens problem is he cares so much that he gets emotional and his game suffers.   To make matters worse, someone decided to give Cozens an A, even though they had Tage and Tuch wearing them.  Nothing like piling more on the kid who we all knew from last season needs to simplify everything.   

Cozen performance against Tampa was one of a guy who knew he was out.  He probably felt failure and regret because he cares a lot.   My summary is they rushed  him.  Maybe not rushed into the league, but the rushed him into the leadership roles he played on the team.   He was not mature enough to lead and take on the problems that Adams and Pegula created   

In Ottawa he has tougher linemates and more top cover.   He just might find his game, get stronger from his natural growth, and become a good player.   
 

 

[DarthEbriate]

4 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

How many times in the modern NHL do real hockey fights happen, let alone two.   No one was looking for a Donnybrook with the score 5-1 and the time almost out. 

Looking at the replay, Cozens gets hit, he didn’t like it and crossed checked Hathaway in the back.  Hathaway looks up and sees they are going off and decides to engage Cozens.  Cozens mistake was he picked the wrong dance partner and he thought he was just going to push and shove with the gloves on.  Hathaway drops the gloves and then totaled Cozens. 

Johnson came in to help during the pushing and a linesman clears him out, he let them fight to get them off.  In today’s game you rarely ever see other players squaring off during a flight -  with gloves off, and wrestling with another player, and then a second fight starts.  That is removed from the game, gloves off is a penalty today. 

The immaturity of Cozens comes through when he slams the metal ladder on his way to the dressing room. 

After all this he is forced to play with a plastic face shield and it affected his played for a few weeks but after that he was ok.  He had some periods of both good and bad play. 

The lost fight is not a reason for his longer term issues.  I will concede that the team makeup, lots of young kids playing against grown men, makes it harder for our kids to get comfortable out there.  They are intimidated physically and mentally.  A big Adams mistake that he refuses to properly address.  

Part of Cozens problem is he cares so much that he gets emotional and his game suffers.   To make matters worse, someone decided to give Cozens an A, even though they had Tage and Tuch wearing them.  Nothing like piling more on the kid who we all knew from last season needs to simplify everything.   

Cozen performance against Tampa was one of a guy who knew he was out.  He probably felt failure and regret because he cares a lot.   My summary is they rushed  him.  Maybe not rushed into the league, but the rushed him into the leadership roles he played on the team.   He was not mature enough to lead and take on the problems that Adams and Pegula created   

In Ottawa he has tougher linemates and more top cover.   He just might find his game, get stronger from his natural growth, and become a good player.   
 

 

There was no reason for Cozens' crosscheck and no reason for a fight there. The bodycheck was minimal, just Hathaway being a strong checker. The game was over. If you want to start a fight, you don't pick that guy.

What's fun is you can clearly hear someone say "What a ###### idiot. What an idiot," at the conclusion of the fight. They weren't wrong.

Note: Cozens wasn't playing all that well at the start of the season before the fight, either.

[Nitro60]

Good hockey trade.  Cozens was a shell of his 30 goal self. 

[Archie Lee]

It's going to take some time to sort out if this was a good trade for the Sabres.  My one prediction is this:  it will become clear fairly quickly that Dylan Cozens was not single-handedly dragging the Sabres down from being a team that could compete to make the playoffs to being a basement dweller.

Edited 2 hours ago by Archie Lee

[PerreaultForever]

13 hours ago, SABRES 0311 said:

And Cozens is not a team leader yet in his career. Nor is he overly talented.

I'm not convinced on the talent aspect yet. What I do think is this was just like Risto. Different position and so different attributes but asking too much too soon, developing him poorly and basically making him worse than he should be. Torts has fixed Risto and made him into a competent second pairing guy. Will Cozens get fixed in a different environment and become a competent 2nd line center? idk but if he does, you have your answer to everything. 

[PerreaultForever]

5 hours ago, Believer said:

Think only Tuch and perhaps Thompson are natural born leaders.

Dahlin is a terrific D Man who leads by his hardworking example. 

A change in the C would do the team and Dahlin some good, imo.

 

As you probably know I have said they should have given it to Tuch. It's pretty hard to strip it from someone though and still keep them happy. I can't see them taking it away from Dahlin and if they do it might piss him off and he might be the next guy to quit on the team and want out.