Insider Has Latest On Sabres' Dylan Cozens' Trade Candidacy

While his name has been near the top of "trade boards" from analysts around the NHL for a while now, Dylan Cozens still remains a Buffalo Sabre. According to insider and Sabres' beat writer Lance Lysowski, it will almost certainly stay that way.

Lysowski reports that a Sabres' source has told him that the reason Cozens' name is so prominent in rumors is a function of how many rival teams are trying to swoop in and steal the former 7th overall pick (2019 NHL Draft) from Buffalo, rather than the team having any desire to trade him. They are not shopping Cozens, relays the source.

Yet, the calls continue to come in. Obviously, with his poor start to the season—just 9 goals and 21 points in 43 games with a plus/minus rating of -17—teams are looking to poach Cozens while his trade value is affordable. GM Kevyn Adams, however, is not looking to sell low.

The Yukon-born center is only two years removed from a breakthrough 31-goal, 68-point season. Last year, he dropped to 18 goals and 45 points, and now yet another nosedive in his numbers in 2024-25. It was only two years ago (in the middle of that breakout season) that he signed a 7-year, $49.7 million contract ($7.1M AAV).

The Sabres are well into another losing season, and are hungry to do something to shake things up and get this team, which seems to have plenty of young talent, off the schneid. So naturally, the vultures are circling, figuring Adams will make a desperate trade. But Cozens does not appear to be on the block, at least according to Lysowski's report, despite comments Cozens has made in the past that got him into hot water.

Dylan Cozens said it 14 months ago that this team is soft and the GM wasn't happy with him. And they're not anywhere near as soft physically as they were last year.

But I don't think I've ever seen a #Sabres team as mentally weak as this one. Zero mental toughness.
Shocking.
— Mike Harrington (@ByMHarrington) January 11, 2025

Just one year ago, Cozens said, "I think we definitely play way too soft. We're too easy to play against and we need to get a little 'FU' in our game." He made a similar comment this weekend after blowing a 2-0 lead to the Seattle Kraken:

"I think once we get up, we start thinking about how we can blow this game," Cozens admitted, bluntly.

Buffalo came into this season looking to snap a 13-year playoff drought, but have sorely underperformed, sitting in dead last in the Eastern Conference with a 16-22-5 mark. It appears that playoff dry spell will be reaching 14 seasons.