Buffalo Sabres
Insider Confirms Red Wings and Sabres Cozens Trade Got Close
There has been a lot of speculation involving Dylan Cozens and a major NHL Insider confirmed a deal was close between Buffalo and Detroit.
The Buffalo Sabres and Detroit Red Wings are gaining momentum in the standings but continue to explore changes to their rosters. Both teams were expected to compete for playoff spots this season, but they have yet to meet those expectations. One player at the center of trade rumors is Sabres forward Dylan Cozens, who has been linked to the Red Wings in what appear to be fairly serious discussions.
Red Wings and Sabres Were Close on a Trade
On the Friday edition of 32 Thoughts the Podcast, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet confirmed that a deal was close for Cozens between the Red Wings and Sabres.
“And I will say this, there was a time that a couple people said to me, they thought it was close. Now I don’t know where it stands. I don’t know where it’s going to go.”
Right before the NHL Holiday Trade Freeze and the days after, the Sabres continued to scout the Red Wings for a potential trade involving Cozens. It caught the attention of many people when Sabres Associate General Manager Jason Karmanos followed the Red Wings schedule, scouting them on a nightly basis.
The belief was that Dylan Cozens would be moved before the holiday freeze. That did not happen. However, it got people talking and wondering what players could be involved in a trade between the Sabres and Red Wings.
Friedman continued:
That was unusual, and people started to wonder exactly what was going on. And he’s been there a couple more times since. He was there again and, and it’s obvious that the Sabers are following them around. And finally information squeezed through. Because there’s definitely not a lot that gets out of Detroit, and there’s not very much that gets out of Buffalo. But finally it got coughed up to me that they believe that the Red Wings were looking at Czoens. And it fits.
Red Wings Not the Only Team Looking at Dylan Cozens
Now, the Detroit Red Wings are not the only team looking at Dylan Cozens.
“I mean, I think there’s a lot of people looking at Cozens,” Friedman added. “One thing I do believe is that Cozens is a guy like everybody who is looking for right-hand centers. So, at the very least, I’m sure Buffalo’s had even more of a stretch of people calling them and saying, what exactly are you thinking here, and what are we looking at?”
As NHLTradeTalk.com has written about, teams like the Calgary Flames, Nashville Predators, Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers, and the Vancouver Canucks. If the Sabres are looking to move a center, they are going to want a center in return, and the Canucks have two centers on the market, Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller.
Both the Flames and Predators have been actively pursuing a top-six right-handed center. Flames GM Craig Conroy would be willing to move a first-round pick for an age-appropriate player who fills his need for a right-shot center, as he told RG Media.
Predators GM Barry Trotz has been clearing cap space to make a bold move, whether it is heading into the trade deadline or in the summer. So it would make sense for him to want to get someone like Cozens.
Cozens has a $7.1 million cap hit for the next five seasons. It would be ideal for any team ready to take the next step and add a player of his caliber.
How High is the Asking Price for Cozens?
However, with the recent trades the Sabres have made involving high-profile draft picks that went elsewhere and succeeded, the asking price might be a little high for many teams. Not to mention, the Sabes may be hesitant to pull the trigger on a deal as they may see Cozens as someone who can take faceoffs moving forward. With Tage Thompson unable to do so at the moment, that makes sense.
The situation involving Dylan Cozens will be interesting to watch moving forward.
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