Buffalo Sabres

Hail Mary: Canadiens Squash Sabres Trade Ask for Cozens [Rumor]

The Montreal Canadiens reportedly showed trade interest in Dylan Cozens, but the ask from the Sabres was far too high to consider a deal.

by
Jim Parsons
March 17, 2025

A recent report suggests that the Montreal Canadiens made a pitch at the NHL Trade Deadline for Dylan Cozens. However, once the ask from the Buffalo Sabres came back to general manager Kent Hughes, it was a quick no, suggesting the Canadiens were interested, but not that interested.

According to journalist Mathias Brunet (h/t House of Hockey for the translation), the Canadiens inquired about a Cozens trade before the forward was traded to the Ottawa Senators. The Sabres wanted Montreal to send one of Cole Caufield or Juraj Slafkovsky the other way. That was a no-go for the Habs, who held far too much value in both players to give them up and were trying to stay in the playoff mix.

The Canadiens are battling for a wild-card playoff spot, and they weren’t about to give up key roster players, even if the player they grabbed was a potential difference-maker.

Cole Caufield stays hot for the Montreal Canadiens

Brunet explained:

“I understood that the Canadiens tried very hard. Buffalo wanted a player for their lineup right away, and even though Norris is often injured, well, they got what they wanted.” He added, “And the asking price… It would have cost Caufield or Slafkovsky. That just proves that if you want to get something good elsewhere, you have to give up your good players.”

No Way the Canadiens Include Slafkovsky or Caufield in That Trade

With 61 points in 66 games, Caufield is on pace to surpass his career-high of 65 points. He already has 33 goals this season, more than Cozens’ career-best of 31 goals. His long-term future in Montreal is also secure, thanks to his eight-year, $8 million AAV contract, making him a key piece of the Canadiens’ rebuild.

Meanwhile, Slafkovsky is just scratching the surface of what he could become in the NHL. He has yet to explode offensively, but he did have a 20-goal, 50-point season in 2023-24.

Brunet explained that Montreal was seriously considering adding Cozens, but asking for either player sounds like a Hail Mary request, especially considering they ultimately settled on the older and more injury-prone Josh Norris. The Sabres, uninterested in draft picks or prospects, wanted an immediate impact player, but their request that the Canadiens part with one of Slafkovsky or Caufield (if true) was a long shot.

The Canadiens made the right call to reject the trade. Caufield has emerged as a franchise cornerstone, and Slafkovsky is set to be a huge part of Montreal’s future. Cozens is good, and he’s off to a hot start in Ottawa, but there was no guarantee a fresh start was going to bring him back to his former 30-goal-per-season status.

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